Light in the Darkness
by ABeautifulDisaster92
Summary: When Rick loses Lori he checks out, leaving his newborn daughter with Beth and the rest of the group. This new world has taken some of the people he loves most. With the help of a young blonde he soon discovers just because he's lost so much doesn't mean he can't gain anything.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters otherwise my favorite characters wouldn't suffer as much as they do -_-**

Chapter 1: Light in the Darkness

It felt like the days just dragged on. Their previous lives a distant memory. Ever since the dead came back to life the survivors had to do whatever they could to make it. They had to say goodbye to their homes, their possessions, and sometimes the ones they loved most. It all seemed so unfair, parents losing their children, children losing their mothers and fathers way before they should. Even with all they had been through Rick and the others finally thought they found a safe haven, nothing else could go wrong but by now they should have realized. Just when you think you can stop and breathe, you get knocked back down.

He sat in the cafeteria of the prison. Leaning his head on his hands. His eyes were heavy but he couldn't force himself to sleep. It had been a few weeks since Lori died but every time he closed his eyes he relived it all over again. There were so many things he wish he could go back and change, he was _going _to change them but he never got the chance. He could never forgive himself for not being there with her in her last moments. Now here he was with a baby he wasn't even sure was his and a son that was becoming like a stranger. 'No kid should have to grow up in this world,' Rick thought looking out the prison windows.

Soft footsteps caught his attention making him reach for his gun still attached to his hip. Seeing Beth's small form at the top of the stairs made him sigh in relief. "Oh sorry," She whispered. "I didn't realize anyone was in here."

"Its ok," He mumbled, his voice deep and husky. "What are you doing up?"

Tiptoeing down the stairs Beth walked over to one of the counters. "I had made Judith a bottle for when she woke up during the night but I forgot it." She explained picking up the baby bottle.

Rick nodded, ever since Judith was born Beth had stepped in as her main caregiver. Carol helped but Rick couldn't help but notice how much time Beth spent with the baby. The room fell in an awkward silence before Beth spoke up. "I know this is probably a stupid question but...are you ok?"

Looking up Rick saw the small girl standing in front of the table. Sighing he dropped his hands on the table. He didn't know how to answer her, he obviously wasn't ok but he wasn't sure if he could have this conversation with her. "I'll be fine," He murmured, his voice so low she barely heard him.

Biting her bottom lip Beth turned on her heel to head back to her cell. At the top of the steps she faced him. "I don't know if this means anything but we know its not your fault." She said making Rick look up. "We all know if you could have done something to prevent all this you would have. I'm sure Lori knows that too."

"I should have been there."

"Do you really think it would have made a difference?" Beth was surprising herself. She never raised her voice at anyone and now she was doing it to the leader of their group. "All I'm saying is...you can't change it but you can change your relationship with your kids. They need you just as much as you need them."

Her words hit him hard. Taking a deep breath he said. "Thank you Beth."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "Maggie and Glenn are on watch so why don't you get some sleep?"

"You're right," He muttered rising from his seat.

Following her into the cell block he peaked into her cell to see her pick up Judith. She was so distracted by the baby she didn't even notice him watching her. The way she acted like she was her own made him smile. Before she could catch him staring he headed upstairs to his own cell. Stopping at the cell beside his he checked on Carl who was already sleeping, his hat hanging on the bunk bed with his gun close by. Bending down Rick pulled the blanket further up on his son's body. He wished they were back in their old house, where Carl had a Spiderman doll instead of a pistol. This world had robbed so many things from him, now Rick knew Carl couldn't lose his father as well. As he stepped out of the cell he made himself a silent promise, things were going to change around the prison, starting with him.

The next morning Beth woke up at the same time as she usually did. Like clockwork she heard Judith start to cry from inside her makeshift playpen. "Good morning, sweet girl." She smiled picking up the baby.

In the cafeteria she saw her father already awake and eating his breakfast. "Mornin' sweetheart." He said taking a bite of oatmeal.

"Morning, can you hold her for a second while I get her bottle?" She asked.

Hershel was about to agree when someone else spoke up. "I'll do it."

Beth turned around to see Rick walking towards them. "Let me take her." He coaxed. "How about you take the day off today? At least from baby duty."

"Are you sure?" To say Beth was surprised was an understatement.

"Yeah, I think she needs to spend some time with her dad and brother."

Smiling Beth glanced at her father who looked just as shocked as she did. "Ok, let me just get her stuff from my cell."

When she was gone Rick sat down across from Hershel. "Welcome back." The older man said.

Rick chuckled. "And I'm not going anywhere."

**Ok so this is very short but I just want to see if everyone likes this story. I just had a random idea, and I like reading Rick/Beth stories so I decided to write it :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to say in this story it may jump from time to time and certain events will be changed. As usual I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters :)**

Chapter 2: Crush

Ever since Beth talked to him Rick had been better at sharing responsibility. He was shocked at how much lighter he felt. Everyone was settling into their own routine but the threat of the Governor weighed heavy on his mind. Just when they all thought things were starting to work in their favor another hurdle was thrown at them. It had been two weeks since Maggie and Glenn returned to the prison and since Michonne became a permanent member of their group. Hershel was sure to keep an eye on Maggie ever since she returned from her imprisonment. Now with Michonne in their camp he felt a little more confident if anyone tried to fight in hand to hand combat but he knew the others were going to need weapons training. "Hey Daryl," Rick called to his friend who was heading to the watch tower. "I think we need to start training everyone, just in case the Governor tries anything."

"I think so too, I'll ask Glenn to help out." He explained, pulling the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder. "We need to make a run here soon, lil' ass kicker is growing like a weed."

Nodding his head Rick smiled. "I'll go talk to Beth and see what all we need to get."

Leaving his friend outside Rick headed into the cellblock. Over the past few weeks it was slowly starting to resemble a home instead of a prison. Carol and Beth tried their best to decorate the cells but they could only do so much with what they had. Poking his head into her cell Rick saw Beth sitting on her bunk with a green notepad on her lap. "Hey, whatcha doing?"

Jumping slightly she sighed. "Gosh, you scared me."

"Sorry, I guess everyone is a little jumpy these days." He chuckled. "Me and a few others are going to make a run soon. I know Judith needs some clothes, does she need anything else?"

"Well maybe some teething rings? I know it will be a while before she gets any teeth but it will be better to have them when it does happen."

"Is she awake?"

"No, I just put her down for her nap. She should be up here soon though."

Nodding he noticed the book on her bed. "What's that?"

"Oh...its nothing." She blushed moving her pillow over the book. "Writing just passes the time, you know?"

"We all need an outlet, I guess."

"Is yours killing walkers?" She joked.

"I probably need a better outlet." He laughed.

For some reason Rick felt like he did when he and Lori first started dating. She reminded him of the old Lori he fell in love with. She helped him forget just for a little while. Hearing a small cry he noticed Judith start to wake up. "I guess she wanted a short nap today." Beth cooed leaning down to pick up the baby. "Look who's here. Your daddy is here."

Taking his daughter into his arms he smiled. "Hey baby girl, is Beth taking good care of you?" He muttered. "Do you need anything when we go on the run?" He questioned glancing at Beth.

"Uh...no I think I'm all right, thank you though." She stammered. "If you're gonna be here a while I better go see if Carol needs any help with the laundry."

Without waiting for him to answer she headed outside where Carol usually hung up the clothes. As she walked she felt her heart thumping faster than usual like it always did whenever she had a conversation with Rick. She kept trying to tell herself it was just a silly crush, like Maggie previously had on one of her middle school teachers but for some reason Beth found herself wanting it to become more. She found herself blushing more whenever he was around, she was nervous when she spoke to him, and she wanted to be around him at all times. He made her feel safe, something she rarely had in this world. It was different with Jimmy, she wouldn't have even called her relationship with him love but she knew it was impossible with Rick no matter how much she wished they could be anything other than friends.

"Well hey there, I thought you were with Judith." Carol yawned, stretching her arms into the air.

"I was, Rick is with her." Beth explained sitting by the tub. "Its nice to see him bonding with her."

"Yes it is," She agreed. "He and Carl seem to be getting along better too. I was worried about that. Lets just hope neither of them go back to that place they were at when they lost..." Carol trailed off, she never really enjoyed talking about her deceased friend.

Beth frowned, "So what about this Governor guy?" She questioned wanting to change the subject.

"I don't know, from what Michonne says he doesn't sound good. I just wonder why Andrea decided to stay with him rather than come home."

"I was thinking about that too...you don't think he'll try anything do you? Michonne didn't make him out to be a 'forgive and forget' kind of guy."

Carol shrugged. "We'll just have to be ready just in case he does. How's Maggie doing?"

"Good, her and Glenn seem better too."

"I'm happy for them." Carol smiled. "It must be nice to be young and in love in a world like this. People were lucky to find that when everything was normal, they were extremely lucky."

Ringing out a shirt Beth glanced at the older woman. "Do you think its possible for anyone to find a love like theirs?"

"I think so, I know it may seem hopeless at times but love happens when we least expect it. Why? Do you have someone in mind?"

Beth could feel herself start to blush. "N-no, I was just thinking is all."

Even though Carol wasn't convinced she let the subject go. She was close enough to Beth to know when something was on her mind. Maybe she did have a crush on someone in the group and she was embarrassed to talk about it. She would talk about it when she was ready. "Ok well if you're here to help me you better start washing some shirts." She ordered with a smile on her face.

"Yes ma'am," Beth giggled.

**So I'm an insomniac and decided to write another chapter. Hope you liked it :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**As usual I do not on The Walking Dead or any of its characters and the episode Sunday night left me crying like a baby D': **

Chapter 3: Ambush

It wasn't often Beth was able to just stop and remember her life before apocalypse. During the days she tried to keep busy as much as she could so no bad memories would plague her mind but in the calm morning hours she found herself awake earlier than usual. With Judith still asleep peacefully beside her Beth started thinking back to when life seemed so much easier. She went to the movies, spent what seemed like hours at the mall, and she never thought she would say it but she actually missed going to school. She loved summers on the farm, even though it was hard work sometimes, she enjoyed it nonetheless. During those times her family was all together and happy. She'd give anything just to have one of those days back.

After the group ate breakfast Rick announced he, Michonne, and Glenn were going on a run. As they were getting their car ready Carl ran towards his dad. "Hey dad, can I go this time?"

Rick glanced at the others before back to his son. He had been promising Carl that he could go on a run with them at some point but he was still apprehensive about it. If anything happened while he was gone he knew Carl was a good enough shot to help the others. "Maybe next time, I want you to stay with your sister and Beth. Make sure nothing happens to them, ok?"

Reluctantly Carl agreed. Turning around he headed back to the cellblock. From the door he watched the car drive away, Daryl and Maggie opened the gates for them and then they were gone. Inside he saw everyone doing their normal routine. Hershel sat in his usual spot reading his bible, Carol was eating her breakfast with Merle sitting at a table away from everyone else, and then he found Beth singing to Judith softly in her cell. "Hey Beth," He sighed, sitting on the cold floor in front of them.

"Oh hey Carl," She smiled, putting Judith's bottle aside. "Your dad and everyone leave?"

"Yeah, they just left." She could tell by the look on this face he was troubled.

"He'll come back, Carl, he always does."

Carl shrugged. "I just wish he would stop treating me like I'm just a kid. I mean, he lets me carry a gun why can't I go on runs with them?"

"You will, maybe he just thinks you're needed here. Trust me I know how you feel. My daddy still sees me as his little girl with pigtails beggin' him for a pony." She tried to make a joke but when he didn't laugh she continued. "My point is, it may take some time but he won't see you as just a kid forever. We all have to grow up fast in this world."

Carl nodded his head and then a smile broke out on his face. "You had pigtails?"

"Hey, I was six!" She laughed.

In town Rick and Michonne were in an old supermarket gathering supplies while Glenn stood on watch. Scanning a few aisles of the store he spotted the baby formula along with teething rings, diapers, and pacifiers. Grabbing them he stuffed everything in one of his bags while Michonne looked for food. "There's not much left," She whispered picking up what she could.

"We're gonna have to find a new town. This one's been picked through." He told her. "If you see a map or anything grab it."

Looking at the shelves she didn't find anything they could use but a book at the bottom caught her eye. It was an Atlas, it looked like someone forgot it with its torn pages and wrinkles but it would work. Holding it up she showed it to Rick. "Perfect." He said heading to another aisle.

Tapping his finger against his gun Glenn kept his eyes on the look out. Scanning up and down the road he thought about Woodbury. The Governor was still alive and who knows what he would do for revenge. He thought about the prison and everyone there. Daryl and his brother were back giving him some kind of reassurance. Merle may be an asshole sometimes but Glenn had to admit he could take care of himself and the others if anything happened. He just had a nagging feeling in his gut that something bad was going to happen. Those kind of feelings he just couldn't shake off. He just hoped he would be there for Maggie when it does.

Hearing the door of the store open he saw Rick and Michonne coming towards him. "What did you find?"

"More formula and some batteries but that's all. We're gonna have to find somewhere else to go for supplies." Rick explained.

Michonne put the Atlas on the hood of the SUV. "There's a town a few miles away but we've never been there before. We could be heading right into a herd of walkers."

"We don't have enough ammo for a few walkers let alone a whole herd of them." Glenn pointed out.

Rick sighed. "Ok we'll head back to the prison and talk to everyone, see what they have to say. Either way we have to find another town otherwise we'll starve."

It was after lunchtime when Beth asked Carl if he wanted to take a walk around the yard. Judith was down for her nap and Hershel was inside if she needed anything. Outside Maggie stood at the watch tower eagerly waiting for Glenn to return. Beth knew how she felt, even though he had been on so many runs she felt anxious whenever Rick was gone. 'There you go again,' She thought. 'Let it go, Beth. Its never going to happen.'

"Dad says we're gonna start a garden," She heard Carl say breaking her away from her thoughts. Being around him made her feel guilty. Here she was fantasizing about his dad who was twice her age while trying to be Carl's friend.

"Really? I'm sure my dad would love that." She sighed, her hand resting on her gun out of habit. "He hates feeling like a burden ever since he lost his leg."

"Did you have a big garden back on the farm?"

"Yeah, my mom kept it up most of the time but daddy always helped whenever she asked him to. She said the plants grew better when they did it together."

Carl thought back to the barn, when they finally found Sophia. He remembered how awful he felt that day, that day he lost his best friend. They all lost someone precious that day. Things just seemed to spiral out of control after that. Luckily everything was looking up for them.

They made a complete lap around the prison, only seeing a few walkers at the fence but still no sign of Rick and the others. Walking along one of the cell blocks Carl asked. "Do you remember what life was like before all this? I can a little bit but...not much."

Beth frowned, she didn't to upset him. She had experienced a lot more in her life than Carl was able to at his age. "Honestly, my life was pretty boring. I worked on the farm mostly." She lied. "Maggie was the one that was able to move away. She always had a story to tell when she came home for the weekends. Most of them she probably couldn't tell me at that age."

He was about to say something else when they heard the loud sounds of a truck. "Who's that?" He asked pointing off in the distance.

Beth tried to focus on the oncoming car but it was moving so fast she didn't have time to process what was going on. When she heard the first shot her first instinct was move in front of Carl. Pulling him against her she rested her hands on his shoulders. She moved their bodies around to press them against the wall. Her breath caught in her throat as they hit the brick. Carefully they turned around to press their backs on the brick. Bullets hit the wall keeping them pinned down, her right arm was in front of him preventing him from stepping forward. Carl grabbed his gun but it was impossible for them to tell where the assailants were coming from. "Beth! Carl!" They heard Maggie scream over the gunshots.

"We have to get inside." Beth stammered.

Carl looked everywhere but there was no way they could make it into the cellblock without getting hit. When he looked back at Beth he saw her left arm was covered in red. "Beth, you're bleeding!" He exclaimed.

Looking down she saw a deep gash in her upper arm. A bullet had scratched her skin when they were trying to get them both out of harm's way. "I'm fine," She muttered but the sight of her own blood was making her queasy.

The bullets kept coming but then they heard a loud crash coming from the front gates. "That has to be my dad." Carl yelled.

Beth wished she could see but she was terrified to move. One wrong move and she could die or Carl could get hurt. Squeezing her eyes shut she turned to look at Carl then everything went silent. The bullets stopped but she still refused to move from her spot. She could feel the blood dripping from her fingertips, with the Georgia heat she was already starting to feel lightheaded. "Walkers!" They heard Maggie warn.

Pushing Beth's hand away from him Carl ran towards the front of the prison, his pistol in hand. Everything seemed to slow down for Beth. Her vision was going in and out. She was faintly aware of a door opening and shouts coming from what sounded like Daryl and Merle. Trying her best to stay conscious she pressed her hand against her wound trying to stop the bleeding but she could feel her back sliding against the wall. Then she found herself sitting on the ground. "They're back!" Carl yelled, she hoped he meant Rick and not whoever was firing at them.

In the car Michonne and Glenn were discussing what their best options were when it came to finding a new town when Rick noticed the gates of the prison had been busted open. "What the hell...?" He mumbled leaning forward.

"Look out!" Glenn exclaimed seeing a walker right in front of them.

Stepping on the gas Rick hit it head on making blood splatter on the windshield. Grabbing his gun they stepped out of the car firing at every walker they saw. From up ahead he saw Daryl and Maggie. "What the hell happened?!"

"The Governor ambushed us!" Maggie shouted running towards them. "Beth and Carl were walking around the yard when it happened."

"Carl? Where is he?" Rick was about to go into panic but then he saw his son off in the distance shooting at the zombies.

Taking off into a sprint he shot at anything that got in his path. When he reached Carl he was looking him over for any wounds while keeping an eye out for walkers. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Carl answered not looking at his father.

Soon the walkers were taken care of but Rick was still fuming. He should have been there when it started. Putting his gun back into his holster he saw Maggie running towards them. "Carl, where's Beth?" She asked.

Carl's eyes went wide as he took off. "Carl!" Rick called following him.

He stopped suddenly seeing Beth slumped against a brick wall. She had been hit, her left arm was covered in blood while her right hand rested on her lap also red. "Oh my God, Beth." Maggie gasped pressing her fingers to her sister's wrist. "She has a pulse but its faint."

"We have to get her inside." Rick stated bending down to scoop her into his arms. "Go find Hershel." He told his son as they hurried into the cell block. "Stay with me, Beth, come on. You have to stay with me." He kept whispering in her ear hoping on some level she could hear him.

**So I hope none of this was too OOC for you. And I know we don't know much about Beth's life before the apocalypse but I just decided to write her as a typical teenage girl. Hope you like it :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Moments

When the Governor's rampage started Hershel and Carol took cover in the cell block. It seemed like they were waiting for hours for it to stop. They felt useless and trapped, they didn't know if anyone was injured or worse and the unknown was unbearable. Hershel stood at the entrance of the building, gripping his crutches so hard to the point his knuckles turned white. Carol stood close by listening for any screams from their loved ones. Then as soon as it started the popping noises stopped. Carol glanced at Hershel. "Do you think its over?"

"We can't be sure." He mumbled grabbing his crutches. "But I can't sit here and wait while my girls are out there."

Helping him open the door Carol grabbed her gun and they cautiously made their way into the yard. Before they reached the group Carl came running up to them. "Beth's hurt!" He gasped trying to catch his breath.

Hershel looked behind the boy to see Rick coming towards them with Beth in his arms. "Bring her in here!" He commanded turning around to go back into the cellblock.

As gently as he could Rick placed her on one of the bunks. Rolling up his sleeves Hershel looked to Carol. "Get me wet towels, we need to wash some of this blood off." With a nod Carol ran off leaving Rick standing by Hershel.

Rick wanted to stay, just to make sure she was ok but he knew Hershel needed some space. Stepping into the cellblock he saw Glenn holding onto a sobbing Maggie. Clenching his jaw he made his way outside where Daryl and Michonne were surveying the damage. "How is she?" Michonne asked.

Shaking his head Rick sighed. "I don't know yet. Hershel is looking her over." He wanted to change the subject otherwise he would otherwise want to go back in the cellblock. "We take two steps forward and get knocked five steps back."

Sighing Daryl adjusted his crossbow. "Tomorrow me and Glenn will work on the fence but we're gonna need something stronger real quick."

"All right until its fixed we need to double up on watches. I want someone in the guard tower at all times." Rick instructed. "We need to find a new town for supplies as soon as possible."

Beth wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, she wasn't even sure how she had gotten inside the building. All she could remember was standing with Carl as the prison was being attacked. Groaning she turned her head to see her upper arm bandaged with dried blood covering her skin. "She's awake." Hearing Maggie's voice made Beth look up towards the entrance of her cell.

"Beth?" Hershel murmured hobbling over to her bunk. "Does your arm hurt? What happened out there, honey?"

Flashbacks from earlier that day came rushing back to her. "Carl? Is he ok? How did I get here? Who did this?" Hershel tried to calm his youngest daughter by putting a hand on her forehead.

"He's fine, he actually told us how you got him out of the way before he got hurt." Maggie explained. "We found you passed out against the wall. Rick carried you in here."

"I got shot?" Beth murmured.

"No, the bullet grazed your arm but it definitely cut you up pretty good." Hershel explained. "You'll have to take it easy for a few days. Don't pick up anything heavy or strain yourself and you should be back to normal in no time."

"Ok," She nodded.

"All right, now you just get some rest. We'll bring up some supper later." He told her, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

Beth didn't need to be told twice to sleep, in a matter of minutes she felt herself dozing off. "She's tougher than we give her credit for." Maggie whispered, careful not to wake her younger sister.

"Yeah well lets just hope she doesn't have to prove how tough she is anytime soon. I don't think I can handle anything like this again when it comes to you girls." Hershel sighed rising from his seat. "Come on, let her sleep."

Hours passed, the sun had set giving the prison an eery feeling. Rick had been on watch all day with Glenn. A few walkers had made their way through the destroyed gates but nothing the two men couldn't handle on their own. Around supper time they came down from the guard tower for Daryl and Carol to take over. Inside the cellblock Glenn went to find Maggie while Rick fixed a plate of food Carol had made for their group before her watch duty. Carl sat at a table with his finished plate in front of him. "Hey you all right?" Rick asked his son taking a seat beside him.

"Yeah," Carl mumbled. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

Before Rick had the chance to say anything Carl was already gone from the table. Shaking his head he ate his food in silence. Once he was done he decided to check on Beth. He had been told how she pulled Carl to safety when the Governor started attacking the prison. Peaking into her cell he saw her trouble to sit up in her bunk. "Hey, be careful there," He instructed stepping into the cramped room.

Beth's eyes widened hearing his voice. She just wanted some water to wash the dried blood off her arm but it seemed she couldn't even do that. "I was just..." She stammered.

"Just lay back, what do you need?" Rick asked.

Sighing to herself she looked up to see his face full of concern. "I just needed some water, daddy didn't really wash all this off." She explained gesturing to her left arm.

"I'll be right back."

Slowly she laid back on her bunk. Every time she found herself around Rick she was terrified she would fumble her words and make herself sound like an idiot. Even after she's been around him for so many months she still feels incredibly intimidated around him. She had been so grateful for him and what he had done for her and her family but she was afraid he would only see her as that frightened little girl from the farm forever. Lost in her thoughts she didn't even realize he was standing by the side of her bunk. "Oh thank you," She blurted reaching up for the bowl.

"Just hold still," He told her sitting down on the stool she had at her desk. "I'm sure Hershel told you to take it easy."

"He did, but I thought I could handle this." She laughed softly.

"After what you did for my son this is the least I could do."

"Still...you don't have to."

"I want to," The usual harshness to his voice was gone. He was so gentle Beth felt like she was dreaming all over again.

Watching as he pressed the washcloth to her skin they fell into a comfortable silence. Beth wished she could think of something to say but she was still in shock she had been around him by herself for this long. Finally she asked him the first thing that popped into her head. "How's Judith? Maggie took her crib out of here earlier."

"She's fine, we moved her stuff to my cell. She'll be in there while you recover. The last thing you need to worry about is midnight feedings right now."

"You guys don't have to baby me, you know?"

"I don't see it as babying, I see it as letting a member of the group take a much deserved break." Beth felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw the sides of his mouth perk up into a smile. "I never really thanked you for all you do with the baby."

"Its no trouble."

"Yeah well, its not fair to you, an eighteen year old girl to be the sole caregiver to a baby that's not even yours."

Beth frowned. "Really, its no trouble. Anything I can do to help out. I know things get really difficult around here, I mean look at today. Even if I can do the smallest things to contribute, like make Judith a bottle, I'm happy to do it."

In that moment Rick realized this girl had to grow up so fast because of this, just like Carl had. Even though no one could prepare for this, her life had been ripped from her in the blink of an eye. And even though the world had been so cruel to her and her family she still remained to be a positive, hopeful person. The world needed more people like that.

After he finished cleaning her arm Rick stood up. "Well you just get some sleep. I'll bring Judith tomorrow and let you see her if you want."

"I would like that." She smiled.

Nodding once he left the cell leaving the blonde girl smiling from ear to ear.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry the chapters are so short, they'll probably get longer as the story goes on. As usual I do not own The Walking Dead or any characters.**

Chapter 5: Wishes

True to his word Rick brought Judith by Beth's cell almost every day. As time went on he couldn't tell who enjoyed the visits more. Judith laughed and smiled more whenever she was around Beth something that warmed his heart every time. Even though it was a happy time he was still sad it wasn't Lori enjoying these types of moments with their daughter. He remembered when Beth told him Judith had Lori's eyes, the memory brought tears to his eyes. Now here he was witnessing these moments with someone else. It should have felt wrong but watching Beth with Judith was just the opposite. She had taken to motherhood easily, especially for someone her age. He wanted these moments to continue, they brought him a kind of peace which was almost impossible these days.

Weeks passed, the gate was almost fixed completely while Beth was feeling back to her old self again. She felt like time went by slower than usual when she was cooped up in her cell. Stepping out into the yard the warm Georgia air made her realize just how much she missed being outside. With Judith on her hip they walked around to where Carol was working on their new garden. "Well it sure is nice to see you back on your feet." She smiled.

Sitting down next to her Beth grinned. "Yeah, it seemed like daddy was never gonna let me leave my bed." She giggled placing Judith on her lap.

"You're the youngest, he will always be more protective of you. Might as well get used to it." Carol sighed. "So how do you like the garden we got going on?"

"It looks good so far. I wish I could have been around to help you out."

"Daryl's been helping a little bit but he never sticks around long. I think killing walkers is more of his idea of relaxation."

"Daryl gardening?"

"You had the same reaction as everyone else in the group. Speaking of the group I think Tyreese and Sasha are fitting in nicely."

"I think so too. From what I've seen." Beth thought back to when Tyreese and Sasha's group first arrived to the prison, their stay didn't last long and then they ended up at Woodbury like Andrea. Then all hell broke loose and they came back along with a few Woodbury survivors. From what she was told by her father the town was no more but the Governor was still out there.

"You know a few boys around your age moved in too." Beth could already tell what Carol was hinting at. "Have you seen anyone you might like?"

When Beth was stuck in her cell she had only caught glimpses of the teenage boys. In the past she would find them attractive but now she just couldn't force herself to be attracted to any of them. Maybe it was just because how mature she had gotten over the past year or maybe it was because her heart was already set on someone else. No matter how much she wished it wasn't. "I don't know," She mumbled running her fingers through Judith's hair. "I better get her inside. Its almost time for her nap."

Without another word she headed back into the cellblock. Inside she saw Rick along with Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie leaning over a map. Over time they found a town close enough to the prison that hadn't been picked over too badly. With new residents at the prison they needed more food and supplies so runs became more frequent. "I don't see why someone else can't go," Daryl grumbled.

"Most of them can't even shoot, they never had to worry about it at Woodbury." Rick explained glancing over to see Beth and Judith heading over to her cell.

"Yeah well they need to learn. Its always the same people riskin' their necks out there while they stay here and work on their tans."

"As much as I never thought I would say this, I agree with Daryl." Maggie spoke up. "I understand they don't have a lot of experience with weapons but they ought to learn while they're here."

"We'll talk it over with them when we get back but for right now gather what you need and we'll leave in half an hour." Rick told the group before walking over to Beth's cell. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Great," Beth beamed, cradling Judith in her arms. "I uh, I heard y'all are going on a run. If you need someone to go I will."

A little taken back Rick shook his head. He didn't want to hurt her feelings so he chose his words wisely. "I appreciate you wanting to help but I think Carol needs you here."

"Which is you trying to be nice and say 'Beth don't be silly, you would get yourself killed out there.'" She mumbled.

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Rick sighed. "I just think Hershel would want one of his girls here. Maggie is already going this time, you can go on the next one ok?"

Smiling she nodded her head. "Be careful," She whispered as he bent down to kiss Judith's head.

Looking into her blue eyes Rick saw the worry in them. Of course she was worried, her sister was leaving the prison, whoever left wasn't guaranteed to come back. "She'll be fine," He told her placing a hand on her shoulder.

Glancing at his hand she bit her bottom lip. "_You _be careful." She murmured, her voice so quiet he barely heard her.

Not knowing what to say he gave her a short nod before walking over to the group. "Y'all ready?" He asked.

From her cell Beth watched them walk out of the cellblock. Placing Judith in her crib she gently ran a hand over the baby's hair. "He'll be back, Judy." She muttered placing her hand over where his previously rested.

Throughout the day Beth tried to get back into her old routine. She kept Judith occupied but when the baby was napping she helped Carol with the laundry. With more people living in the prison the clothes seemed to accumulate faster than before. "Where's Karen?" Beth questioned pinning a T-shirt to the clothesline.

"She said she was gonna look after the kids today." Carol shrugged. "I guess some have been sneaking out of the gates."

"Why in the world would they do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine but boredom isn't an excuse to be stupid."

Beth looked out into the yard to see Carl running around with a few Woodbury kids. "Well its good that Carl has someone around his age to hang out with."

"Maybe he can help them make wiser decisions."

Several loads of laundry later Beth was carrying a basket full of clothing when she felt someone run into the side of the basket. "Oh shit, I'm sorry." She heard a deep voice say.

Looking up she saw a boy around her age with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes staring back at her. "I didn't see you there." He smiled.

"Uh, its ok, I should have looked where I was going." She stuttered.

"I'm Liam." He introduced holding out his hand.

Placing the basket on her hip she took it. "I'm Beth."

"Oh right, you're the old man's daughter."

"Old man?" Beth snapped raising her eyebrows.

His eyes widened seeing he offended her. "Sorry, I'm kind of new here, I don't know everyone's names just yet."

"Well his name is Hershel. You should probably know that cause he's the one that takes care of everyone when they get hurt."

"Got it, and the leader is Rick, right?"

"Right, now I wish I could stand here and educate you on everyone that lives here but I have to take these inside."

"All right well hopefully we'll see each other soon. I mean, we live in a prison, we're bound to run into each other sooner or later." He smirked.

Rolling her eyes she nodded. "Bye Liam."

A few miles away from the prison Rick and Maggie were picking through an abandoned supermarket while Daryl stood outside. Soon Judith would be able to eat more than formula which meant they had to find something else for her. Picking up a few jars he looked them over for an expiration date before placing them in his bag. "Its hard to believe she's almost four months old already." He heard Maggie whisper from behind him.

"Yeah, we got lucky. Your sister has taken such good care of her. I'll always be grateful for that." Rick sighed picking up a few bibs and a pack of diapers.

"Beth loves that little girl. We all do." Maggie couldn't help but think when Judith started talking would she call Beth 'mama.' She wouldn't dare say it out loud to Rick but the worry was always there.

"Did you find everything?" Hearing Rick's voice tore her away from her thoughts.

"Yep, got batteries and found enough food to last us until we have to make another run." She explained.

"All right, let's get Daryl and get out of here."

Beth sat in the floor of her cell mending a few tattered shirts. Judith was laying in her playpen on her stomach. Over time Beth learned her singing made the baby smile. Taking a deep breath she began singing softly, the first song that popped in her head. 'A dream is a wish your heart makes,' she sang. 'When you're fast asleep. In dreams you lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep.'

Seeing the baby's smiling face Beth stopped. "I wish I had that movie, I used to watch it ever day. Maybe its cause Cinderella was blonde, maybe it was because of her pretty dress." She chuckled. "Maybe it was because she never gave up even when things seemed hopeless. Then it got better."

In these types of moments Beth envied Judith. This little girl had no idea what was going on in the world. Then she dreaded when Judith grew up because she will know nothing other than this world, nothing but death and not knowing whether you and your loved ones are gonna make it. 'No matter how your heart is grieving. If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.' She finished seeing the baby's eyes slowly droop until finally she let herself fall asleep.

**I have no idea if Beth was a Disney fan, the song was just one of my favorites when I was a kid so I thought it would fit. Hope its ok :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Learning

A few days after the supple run Rick and Glenn had gathered the former Woodbury residents in the yard. Men, women, and teenagers all stood in front of them anxiously waiting for them to say something. The original prison group needed to figure out who would be able to fight if the time ever came and who could help out with watches when needed. "All right who here has had any kind of weapons training?" Rick asked the group.

A few women glanced at each other while a couple men raised their hands. Looking them over there were a few older men, teenage boys, and a couple of women. "How many of you at least know how to shoot a gun?" Glenn spoke up.

A few more raised their hands. Now only a handful still had their hands by their sides. "Ok the ones who know what to do, you're gonna go with Glenn for some target practice. The rest of you you're gonna be with me and learn how to shoot."

"Why are we doing this?" A man yelled.

"Because if all of you are gonna live here you need to start pulling your weight. I understand things at Woodbury were different but its only fair to those who were already here that you help out." Rick explained. Placing a hand on Glenn's shoulder he told everyone. "Ok now follow Glenn, everyone else with me."

Rocking Judith to sleep Beth heard the sounds of bullets coming from outside. Tensing up it brought back memories of when the Governor attacked. Taking a deep breath she concentrated on getting Judith to sleep. Carol had told her about the upcoming weapons training and she wanted to join in but the baby was her first priority. Back on the farm Shane and T-Dog had helped them learn how to shoot but she knew she needed more practice. When Judith was asleep she gently placed her in her crib before telling Carol she was heading outside.

In the yard she noticed Rick standing behind a group of six people, all with handguns. He seemed to be teaching them the proper way to hold their weapons. With her pistol in hand she headed over to join them. "Hey, I thought you knew how to shoot?" Rick questioned.

"Yeah I do, but it doesn't hurt to learn the basics right?" She smiled holding the gun out in front of her with perfect form.

Rick shook his head with a small smile on his face. He would never admit it out loud but seeing her was like a breath of fresh air. She radiated positivity and it was impossible to _not _enjoy her company. Placing his hands on his hips he observed the rest of the group, he could tell none of them knew what they were doing. Most of them looked terrified even to be holding a gun, he couldn't imagine how they would react when a walker came towards them. "We gotta lot of work to do," He mumbled to himself.

Throughout the day the group slowly started to improve, they knew how to work a gun but some were still having trouble aiming. As they walked towards the cellblocks for lunch he noticed a teenage boy approaching Beth. He looked maybe eighteen or nineteen with an athletic build. When Rick saw Glenn coming towards him he spoke up. "Hey who's that kid?"

"Liam I think," Glenn answered. "He's a pretty good shot, he volunteered to take watch tonight so that could give us a break."

"We'll see," Rick sighed watching the two teenagers walk off together.

Beth was surprised to see Liam running towards her. Ever since she met him they barely saw each other. Looking at him he reminded her of one of the preppy boys from her school, a total jock that had all the girls fawning over him. He was cute but she just couldn't feel anything towards him other than friendship. Turning her head she noticed Rick staring at them. "Um, I'll see you later ok?" She told Liam, walking off before he had a chance to say anything. With Rick's eyes burning holes into her back she went straight into the cellblock to check on Judith.

Later on during the night Rick was up in the guard tower when he heard someone coming up the metal steps. He expected Daryl or Carol but he was surprised to see Liam. "Rick right?" He asked.

Nodding once Rick waited for what else the boy had to say. "I don't think we've ever met, I'm Liam. I just want to say thank you for letting us all stay here."

"It was the right thing to do," The older man answered. "So what are you doing up here?"

"I thought Glenn told you I could help keep watch? I've known how to shoot since I was a kid and I'm used to staying up all night."

Rick didn't know if it was his cocky attitude or just the fact he didn't know anything about this guy but Rick didn't trust him. "Well I appreciate that but I think I need to learn more about you before I let you take watch. Its a big responsibility."

"I understand." Liam said. "Then get to know me." He smirked leaning against the railing.

"Where ya from?"

"Savannah, until I went into the military, the Marines. I was home on leave when all this broke out."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen, about to turn twenty."

He answered every question Rick had quickly and like he already had his answers work out before the older man had a chance to ask them. Rick had to admit the boy had some amazing qualities but there was still something about him he didn't trust and he wasn't about to trust a stranger with the lives of so many he cared about.

In her cell Beth couldn't sleep and it appeared Judith couldn't either. Rocking the baby back and forth she tried her best to coax her to bed but she just wasn't having it. "Judith everyone else is asleep why can't you?" Beth whispered.

Leaning against the cold wall she let the little girl rest against her chest. When she finally settled down Beth couldn't help but think about Rick. Maybe she was imagining things but it seemed like she was slowly growing closer to him. She was still a big hesitant when she spoke to him but talking was getting easier as the days past. When he brought Judith by her cell she tried her best to make conversation with him, her aim was to make him smile at least once. She succeeded a few times but mostly he just stood close by in silence watching her interact with Judith. During those moments she saw a different Rick, he wasn't the leader or the fighter everyone was used to. He was just a father who loved his kids. She was happy she was able to witness him like that, it was so rare she always kept close to her heart.

Early that morning Rick stepped down from the guard tower to get some rest. When he headed into the cellblock he decided to check on Judith first. Peaking into Beth's cell he saw the young girl laying on her bunk with the baby resting on her chest. The sight brought a smile to his face. As quietly as he could he gently took Judith out of Beth's arms. The sudden loss of the child instantly woke her up. "Hey sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He muttered.

"Its ok," She yawned. "I didn't even realize I fell asleep. Judith was a little fussy last night, she would only stay quiet if I held her."

"And we all know how grumpy everyone gets when they don't get enough sleep."

"Exactly," She chuckled but was cut off by a yawn.

Rick's eyes softened. "You get some sleep, I'll take her for a few hours."

Shaking her head she stood up. "No, you were on watch all night, you need your sleep more than I do."

Sighing Rick looked into her blue eyes. "I appreciate what you're doing but you shouldn't overwork yourself. We all need sleep."

She knew he wouldn't back down. "Maybe Carol can take her, you need some rest just as much as I do."

"Ok," He agreed. "I'll talk to her, now you get some sleep. We're having another shooting lesson later this afternoon."

"I'll be there." She smiled laying back on her bed.

Looking back once he saw her slowly start to drift off to sleep. After handing Judith over to Carol he went straight to his cell. Stripping off his boots and shirt he laid on his bunk and closed his eyes. An image of Beth holding Judith was the last thing he thought about before he fell into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Together

Days at the prison were starting to get easier. The Woodbury residents were starting to pull their weight while the original group still had their own routine they were used to. With more people around Rick's stress level was starting to go down to the point he was able to sleep peacefully at night. Finally he was able to spend more time with his kids and be a leader everyone deserved. He couldn't help but worry, it seemed like whenever things started to go their way they were hit with a massive blow. One morning he was heading into the cafeteria when he heard soft humming up ahead. Stopping at the top of the stairs he saw Beth cradling Judith while fixing breakfast. "Mornin,'" He said making her jump.

"Gosh, I thought everyone was still asleep." She sighed.

"Most of them are, where's Carol?" He asked taking Judith from her arms.

"She went to talk to Daryl while he's still on watch. I told her I could handle it for a little while. Besides I had to fix Judy something to eat." She explained handing him the bottle.

Sitting down at one of the tables he began to feed Judith while watching the blonde girl out of the corner of his eyes. "So how have things been going?" He heard her ask.

"Better, now that the Woodbury people have started helping it seems like things are finally going smoothly."

Beth was about to say something else when they were interrupted by a loud scream. Dropping the bottle he quickly handed the baby to Beth before telling her. "Go to your cell, stay there until I tell you its safe."

Nodding her head she followed his instructions. Closing the cell door behind her she cradled the baby trying to keep her as calm as possible. The screams were getting louder, followed by crying and yelling. "Beth?!" She heard her father yell.

"Daddy? In here!" She called back to him.

"Oh thank goodness," He sighed in relief seeing his youngest daughter behind the bars.

"Daddy, what's going on?"

"A walker got into the other cellblock but it looks like it was someone from Woodbury." He told her. "Have you noticed anyone ill lately?"

Thinking back she had noticed a few people coughing at their last shooting lesson. She just thought it could be allergies. "Yeah, but I didn't know how serious it was."

"I think it might be the flu but I can't be for certain." He explained. "I didn't even keep a check on what medicines we had but I know its not enough."

"How many are sick?"

"About ten or so but everyone that's been in that cell block has been exposed to it already so we're gonna need more."

Looking down at Judith Beth couldn't help but think, 'What are we gonna do?'

Her father's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "All right, have you seen Maggie?"

"She was with Glenn the last time I saw her."

Nodding his head he sighed. "When you see her tell her we might need her to go with Rick for an emergency supply run. You two are the only ones I can be sure will grab the right medications."

"I could go. I mean I've been around you enough to learn what you'll need. Carol hasn't been anywhere near that cellblock so she could watch Judith."

"Beth, I don't know."

"Daddy, please. I've been practicing my shooting for a few weeks now and I always have a knife on me." She said, her voice strong. "I'm not afraid anymore."

Closing his eyes Hershel thought it over. After several minutes he nodded. "Ok, I'll tell Rick while you go talk to Carol."

Opening the cell she stepped around him to head outside when her father stopped her. "And Beth." Turning around she noticed how afraid he looked. "Please be careful."

"I will, Daddy. I promise."

Rick was trying to calm the frightened residents when Hershel found him. "We need medicine and we need it quick. You and Beth need to go on a run."

Rick was quick to agree but stopped when he heard Beth's name. "Wait, Beth? Hershel are you sure?"

"No but don't tell her I said that." He mumbled. "I need to be here for the sick ones and we don't know where Maggie is. Beth knows what I need to treat everyone. Now go, the sooner you go the sooner you get back."

Nodding his head Rick left the older man to head outside to the SUV. Beth was waiting for him when he arrived. "You ready?"

"Yeah, lets go." She answered but she had to admit she was nervous. She told her father she wasn't afraid anymore but she had to admit she was scared.

"Where's Judith?"

"Carol has her, don't worry, Carol hasn't been around anyone sick so she'll be fine."

During the ride into town they fell into a comfortable silence. Rick stole glances at Beth and could see her hands shaking. He couldn't tell if it was excitement or nerves but he had a good guess. Stopping a few yards away from the local shops he turned to look at her. "Ok Daryl told me there's a pharmacy around here that should still have what we need. You go in there and grab what you can. I'll be right outside, just holler if you need me."

"Ok." She said grabbing her gun and holding it tight.

As quietly as they could they closed the car doors and headed into the town. Beth could hear the walkers from all around them but it was impossible to tell how many there were. Just hearing them sent shivers down her spine. Staying close behind Rick she kept turning her head trying to keep an eye out for any trouble. When he suddenly stopped she rested her hand on his back, gripping onto his shirt she looked up ahead to see a few walkers. Fear gripped her as she thought they were going to spot them and come after them but soon they walked off. "Lets go," Rick whispered as they started jogging towards the pharmacy.

When they reached the old brick building he checked the store window. "It looks clear, now hurry. We don't know how many there are." He told her.

Nodding her head she pushed the glass door open as softly as she could. Luckily there was no greeting bell above the door making them both sigh in relief. With a bag over her shoulder she scanned the aisles of the leftover medications. Thinking back to when her brother had the flu she remembered what her father gave him. The memory of Shawn complaining about the pills would usually make her laugh but she couldn't at the moment. Picking through the scattered boxes she recognized a few names and threw them in the bag. After going through each aisle she had found plenty of what she felt they needed and then some. She was about to head outside when she noticed a few walkers approaching Rick. "Oh no," She muttered looking around.

If she went out the front they would come after her giving Rick time to get away but she couldn't take them all on by herself. Turning on her heel she ran towards the back of the store. Lucky for her there was a fire exit that led into an alley. Pushing the heavy door open she knew she needed to get to Rick but she knew they both didn't have enough ammo to take on all of the walkers. Looking around she found a sharp piece of broken pipe next to a dumpster. She ran over to pick it up and then went over to where she last saw Rick. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

Rick saw them coming but he didn't know how many. Gripping his knife he calculated his move carefully. When one got close enough he stabbed it through the head making it drop to the ground. After the first one fell another came over. Doing the same thing he kicked the body away and took a few steps back. Glancing at the pharmacy he hoped Beth was almost finished because he knew he needed help. He didn't want to shoot his gun, the sound would draw them in and leave them both trapped.

He was so distracted by the walkers in front of him he didn't even notice one coming towards him from behind. Hearing a body fall to the ground he turned around to see Beth holding a piece of broken pipe with blood on the end. "Come on!" He commanded grabbing onto her arm.

A few walkers blocked their way which they took care of easily and ran straight to the car. Beth almost screamed when one jumped out at her from her side of the car but a single shot hit it in the head. Turning her head she saw Rick holding his Colt Python up. "Lets get out of here."

Climbing into the SUV she tried to catch her breath as Rick put the car in reverse. Backing up they headed in the opposite direction of the walkers who were quickly making their way towards the car. Out of instinct Beth held onto Rick's arm, her eyes wide watching the dead in front of her. The tires squealed as he turned the car around. Throwing the gear into drive he sped off in the direction of the prison.

Realizing her hand was still on his arm she pulled away from him. "Sorry." She murmured, her head down.

Glancing at her he noticed how red her face was. "Its ok, thank you by the way. You saved my ass back there."

"Well you saved mine too." She breathed. "I think I got everything Daddy will need. I just hope its enough."

"I do too." He sighed, leaning his head back on the headrest.

**So this was my first time writing a scene with the Walkers, hope it was good :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Too Far?

When Rick and Beth returned to the prison they immediately took the medicine to Hershel who had been anxiously waiting for them to return. Seeing his daughter safe and unharmed made him sigh in relief as he and Maggie went to treat the sick. "I'm gonna go check on Judith." Beth told Rick before heading to their cellblock.

Beth passed by a few panicked people as she walked. A few women were trying to calm down children but she could tell they were just as scared as the kids. She wished she could provide them with some kind of comfort but she didn't know what was going to happen and she just couldn't make promises that she couldn't keep. Inside the cellblock she saw Carol boiling some water with Judith sitting close by on a thick blanket. "Hey Carol," Beth said taking a seat at one of the tables.

"Oh hey, its good to see you back in one piece." Carol told the young girl. "I think she missed you."

Beth looked down at Judith who smiled back at her. "I missed her too," Beth murmured taking a seat on the floor next to Judith's blanket. "What's the water for?"

"Hershel told me some of the patients are running fevers and can't seem to get warm. I'm hoping some warm tea will help a little bit."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, you stay here with Judith. Daryl already volunteered to help anyway."

A question had been bugging Beth for a while but she had never worked up enough nerve to ask it. Ever since she met them Beth had seen a connection with Carol and Daryl. She didn't know if it was because they had similar backgrounds or just because they wanted someone to bond with but she could tell how close they were. Now at the prison whenever Carol needed any help Daryl would usually step in. "Carol, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Do you like Daryl?"

She could tell the question took the older woman by surprise. Beth swore she could see a little red tint to her face. After a few minutes of thinking Carol spoke up. "Well I...he's just a good person. There's more to him than meets the eye."

"Yeah, but do you like him or are you just friends?"

"Just friends, I don't think either of us can handle a relationship right now with the way things are going around here."

"Yeah..." Beth muttered. "Do you think anyone besides Glenn and Maggie can have a stable relationship?"

"Why do you ask? Do you have someone in mind?"

'Yes, but I know its not going to happen.' Beth thought. "No, I was just wondering. I mean, a girl can dream can't she?"

Luckily Carol dropped the subject but Beth knew the conversation would come back up one day. When Carol left Beth took Judith into her cell. The cellblock was quiet, almost everyone had a job to do outside. She expected to see Carl lurking around somewhere but there was no sign of him. "This place is creepy when no one is in here." She told the baby.

Throughout the day Beth stole glances at Rick. He seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now with this flu outbreak she could tell he was slowly starting to go back to that dark place he was at when he lost Lori. Thinking back she remembered the conversation she had with him that night. How she told him none of this was his fault, it looked like he needed to hear those words at that moment. Now he needed to hear them again, she would just have to figure out when.

Later on that night Rick had taken to watch duty. It was late, almost everyone was asleep. The stars seemed brighter now, maybe he just never paid attention to them but now whenever the nights were quiet he found himself staring at them. Before he had never really thought of heaven but he wondered if everyone they had lost was up there looking back at him. Sighing to himself he walked around the tower, his eyes scanning the yard. Approaching footsteps caught his attention. Gripping his rifle tighter he noticed Beth coming up the stairs to join him. "Beth, what are you doing out here? Is Judith all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She's sleeping." She answered leaning on the railing. "I just wanted to check on you."

"Why?"

Sighing she crossed her arms. "I know how hard all this must be on you. I mean, you let these people in here and then they get sick and some may die. Its like you've failed to keep them safe."

She hit the nail on the head. Resting his hands on the railing he looked out onto the yard. "Why can't things just work out for once? Haven't we earned that by now?"

"No one said life was easy, I'm sure whoever said that first didn't expect the world to be like it is today but..." She trailed off. "But what's going on right now is not your fault."

Turning around he faced her, his blue were illuminated with the light from the full moon. "I still should have prepared everyone for something like this. I should have..."

"Stop." She commanded putting her hands on his shoulders. "Its not your fault. You may be the leader but you're not all knowing. You've done everything in your power to keep us safe. You've had to make decisions not every man could. You gotta stop blaming yourself for things that are just out of your control."

Closing his eyes he dropped his head. Her words were exactly what he needed to hear even though he wasn't aware of how much he needed it. Sometimes he just wanted a sign to tell him he was doing the right thing. "Thank you," He mumbled.

"You're welcome." She whispered, rubbing her hands over his shoulders.

Her touch sent shivers down his spine. No other woman had comforted him like this since Lori, he hadn't even thought of it. Now with Beth standing so close he found himself wanting to stay like this with her for as long as she would let him. Looking up his eyes met hers, she was waiting for him to say or do something. She didn't know if he was going to push her away or awkwardly shuffle towards the other side of the tower but he didn't do either. They just stood there for a few minutes then Rick surprised her. Picking up one of his hands he gently pushed her blonde hair away from her eyes. Beth's breathing picked up when she noticed him slowly leaning in towards her. Closing her eyes she almost gasped when his lips touched hers.

Their kiss started out innocent, almost a testing the waters type of kiss. Slowly his hands gripped her small waist while hers rested on his chest, her fingers playing with the fabric of his shirt. It was like her body melted into his, they fit together. His strong arms around her was one of the best feelings she had ever experienced.

Just as quick as it happened it all stopped. Pulling away Rick stepped back against the railing. "Uh, you should go back inside." He coughed, not looking at her directly in the eye.

"Rick..."

"No, Beth, just go back inside." He demanded. "This never happened."

The words cut her like a knife. Trying to blink back tears she hurried down the stairs back into the cellblock. When she was in the privacy of her own cell she let herself cry. How could something feel so right get ripped away like that? She knew her crush on him was stupid but when he kissed her she finally felt like maybe she was wrong. Something _could _happen with them but clearly he didn't feel the same way and it was the harsh reality she had to face, no matter how hard it was going to be.

Rick felt like kicking himself the rest of the time he was up in the tower. How could he do that? Maybe he was just caught up in the moment, feeling her touch had felt so good he just had to do something. He thought about Lori, how could he do that to her? Even though she was gone he still felt like his heart belonged to her. Looking down at his wedding ring that he still wore he felt immense guilt in his stomach. Even more guilt than he felt before Beth joined him in the tower.

Laying down on her bunk Beth couldn't sleep. She still felt his warm lips on hers, just the thought of the kiss they shared made her heart beat faster. Wiping away a few stray tears she rolled over onto her side, clutching her pillow to her chest. Things could never go back to the way they were after that, she couldn't look at him the say way. She came to a realization she would just have to avoid him, it was for the best. Some distance would do her heart some good.

The next day was just as awkward as he expected it to be. Beth didn't look him in the eye the entire time they were at breakfast and quickly excused herself when she was finished. What happened the previous night was a mistake, or at least that's what he kept telling himself. He couldn't deny kissing Beth felt right, like he had been doing it for years. He already felt comfortable around her, he could talk to her about things weighing heavy on his mind without being judged. They had grown close over the past few months and he liked it he just knew they couldn't be more than friends. Hershel and Maggie would never let them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Solutions

A few weeks had passed since Rick and Beth's kiss. During those weeks he barely spoke to the young girl and she tried her best to keep her distance. She would tell him how Judith was but their conversations never went passed that. He found himself missing her company, just being in her presence made his day better like she was some kind of light to him. Ever since he sent her away that night he knew he was making a mistake. Maybe the kiss was wrong but it didn't feel that way. He knew he shouldn't have, she was only eighteen years old, she's Hershel's daughter he could imagine how he would react if he knew what happened that night on the guard tower. No, no matter what Hershel and the rest of the group could not know and now matter what it couldn't happen again.

"Mornin' Judy," Beth murmured picking up the young girl from her bed. "Did you sleep good? I hope at least one of us did."

Ever since she kissed Rick nights had been restless. She kept tossing and turning, blaming herself for their ruined relationship. Even though they were rare she missed those moments when it was just him and her with Judith. She knew she wasn't the child's mother but it felt like their own little family with the rest of their families nearby. She felt guilty, she felt like she had pushed herself on him. He still loved Lori, everyone knew that, losing his wife wouldn't be something he would easily forget and move on from. Sitting down on her bunk she knew she had to talk to him eventually, avoiding him and the subject at hand wasn't solving anything. She just didn't know when would be the right time to talk to him.

Later on that day Beth was helping Carol in the garden when she noticed Liam walking towards them. "Hey Beth, Carol," He said, "I see the garden's coming together nicely."

Beth could see Carol smirking out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, we should have a decent salad here soon." Beth muttered.

"Good, I mean I love oatmeal as much as the next guy but it gets old after a while." Liam chuckled. "So Beth I was wondering if you maybe wanted to talk a walk or something later this afternoon."

Rubbing her hands on her jeans she sighed. "I-I don't know, I think Carol needs my help with supper tonight."

"No I don't, Karen has already volunteered to help. You have the night off." Carol interrupted.

"Well I still need to make sure I don't have to watch Judith."

"I'll handle that, go on Beth, you deserve a little break after everything you've been doing these past few weeks." Carol prodded.

Finally nodding her head she looked up to meet his eyes. "Ok, I'll meet you outside of C block later tonight."

"Great, see you then." He grinned. "Well I better go, I'm helping Glenn on the fences."

When the boy was gone Beth could feel Carol's eyes on her. "Go ahead, I know you want to say something."

"Why did you seem so uninterested in going with him?" Carol asked. "He's cute and he's your age. What's going on?"

"I don't know, I'm just...not into him like that."

"You've got someone else on your mind."

'Is it that obvious?' Beth thought. "N-no, I just...I don't think I should be interested in boys right now."

"Beth, even with all this you're still a teenager and everyone needs someone to confide in. Even the strongest people need a little help now and then."

"What if the people you're trying to help won't let you?"

"Who?"

Sighing Beth shook her head. "No one, forget about it. Are we done with this? I need to go help Daddy with Judith."

"Yeah, I can take it from here," Carol said, before the younger girl could walk away she stopped her. "Beth, whoever has your mind all wrapped up, just know they would be lucky to have you."

Frowning Beth mumbled. "I don't know about that."

In the yard Rick was watching Glenn and Liam take care of a few walkers gathering around the fence. As the weeks went by Liam tried his hardest to prove himself but to Rick it seemed forced. He had tried to shake the feeling that Liam was not to be trusted but he couldn't. After his previous years as a police officer he learned how to read people and all of his instincts told him Liam was shady.

Behind him he noticed Beth walking towards the cellblock. He knew it was now or never to talk to her about their current situation. "Beth! Hold up a sec." He called out.

"What is it?" She questioned, her voice soft.

"I just...I think we need to talk about that night."

"I think you made yourself quite clear, I thought it never happened?" She snapped.

Running a hand over his face he sighed. "No matter how much we tell ourselves that we know it happened and now ever since then you barely look at me."

"I thought that was what you wanted?"

"No, I don't want to act like you don't exist. Beth I appreciate everything you've done for me and my family, I trust you with my kid's lives. And for what its worth I miss having you around." Taking a deep breath he looked into her blue eyes. "But what happened that night shouldn't...I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

"I haven't gone anywhere." She murmured. "Rick I can't just act like what happened didn't, and I can't act like I didn't enjoy it. It wasn't just you that night, it was me too. If I really didn't want to I would have pushed you away."

"Still, after everything Hershel's done for my family I can't just disrespect him like that."

"I know how much you respect my dad but denying yourself something that we _both _want is no way to live your life." Beth was surprised, everything she had pent up for so long was coming out before she could stop it. "Daddy would never stop me from being happy or you for that matter."

Placing his hands on his hips he shook his head. "I still don't think its a good idea." He mumbled. "Its just not..."

"Don't say its not right." She told him stepping closer. "Cause what I felt that night wasn't wrong in any way. I care about you but if you just want things to go back to the way they were then I guess I can try to do that for you."

When he heard her say that Rick knew it wasn't what he wanted but it was what needed to happen. "That's all I ask. I am sorry, Beth."

"Yeah...me too," She muttered walking away from him trying her best to keep the tears at bay.

After checking on Judith Beth decided to take a nap. Laying in her cell she thought of Rick, how could he just act like it was so easy to forget about their kiss? Wiping her face she decided she couldn't stress over it anymore. It wasn't going to happen, she would just have to accept that. She would just have to put those feelings away and hope they would soon fade away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Plans and Missions

In town Michonne and Daryl had volunteered to go on a food run. They had run across a few walkers but nothing they couldn't take care of. After pulling her katana out of a walker's skull she noticed something she found suspicious. "Hey Daryl," She called out to her partner. "Was this broken last time we came here?" She asked pointing to the shattered grocery store window.

"No, we were just here a few days ago. Come on, lets make sure we still have some food in there." He told her stepping through the window.

Twenty minutes later they both met up empty handed. "Someone's been here." Daryl said. "They sure didn't leave anything behind."

"Must be a big camp."

Daryl could see the wheels turning in Michonne's head. "What are you thinkin' about?"

"I haven't seen a big group that needed _that _many supplies since Woodbury."

"But all the Woodbury survivors moved in with us."

"But the Governor is still out there. What's stopping him from making another town like that? He's a convincing man, he can fool _anyone _into believing he's a respectable leader."

"Ok, we'll talk to Rick about this when we got back. It may not be him but after what happened last time we need to be prepared."

Michonne nodded her head. Outside they heard moans coming from down the street. "Come on, we need to leave now."

After laying restlessly for an hour Beth decided to go ahead and meet Liam. She figured the sooner she got this walk over with the sooner she could go back to her cell for the rest of the night. Pulling on her denim jacket she told her father where she was going before heading outside. Looking out into the trees surrounding the prison she saw a few starting to change making her smile. She had always loved autumn, hay rides, campfires, and football games were some of her favorite memories of fall. Now she was stuck in a permanent Halloween movie.

"Beth! Hey!" Turning around she saw Liam jogging towards her. "I was afraid you would forget about me."

"I said I would meet you, so where do you want to walk?"

"Well I guess we can make a few laps. There's not many options. This is probably the worst first date ever, I'm sorry."

Playing with her jacket sleeves she shrugged. "Uh, its ok, I didn't even realize this _was _a date."

Running a hand through his hair he chuckled. "Now that I've made this as awkward as I can lets go. I'm sure your dad will kill me if I keep you out too long."

Nodding her head they started walking towards the yard. 'Its just a few laps, Beth, a few laps won't kill you.'

Across the yard Rick was helping Carol carry buckets of vegetables when he spotted Beth walking away with Liam. "Huh, look at that." He mumbled.

"Its about time, he's been crazy about her since he first saw her. She just never gave him the time of day." Carol sighed.

"Why's that?" He asked but he felt like he already knew the answer.

"I'm not sure, I think she's got her heart set on someone else."

Swallowing a lump in his throat he glanced back at her. "Do you know who?"

"No, she hasn't said. Maybe hanging around Liam will help get her mind off of whoever the other boy is."

"I don't know about this Liam guy though."

"Why? He seems nice."

Sighing he shook his head. "There's just something about him. Its not easy trusting people these days."

"Well from what I've seen he's harmless, just relax. Beth is in good hands. Just let them be teenagers for a little while."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," he mumbled as they walked into the cellblock.

Beth and Liam walked along the fence in silence. Neither knew what exactly to talk about, life today was different. Their subjects range from weapons training to what they were going to eat that night. She was surprised when Liam suddenly stopped. "What's this?" he asked pointing to the opening in the fence when they first found the prison.

"Uh when we got here we had to get inside somehow so we had to cut a hole in the fence. We didn't know how to fix it at the time so this will just have to do." She explained pointing to the wire holding the fence together.

"Is there any way else into the prison? Besides the main gate?"

"Not that I know of," She muttered stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets.

"So Tyreese and Sasha on watch tonight?"

"I think so...why are you asking so many questions?"

"Just trying to get to know you."

"Get to know me or figure out what I know about the prison?" She snapped stopping in her tracks.

"What? No, its just...no one really tells me anything. I get it, I'm the new kid, I have to earn some respect around here. I'm sorry."

Sighing she shook her head. "Its fine, let's start heading back. Supper will be ready soon."

"Wait," He commanded grabbing her upper arm. "Let's sneak out for a little while." He urged pointing to the fence opening.

"Liam no..."

"Come on, just for a little while. Don't you ever just want to leave this place for a few minutes? I mean, I know its home and everything but its still a prison." Lifting up his shirt he showed her his pistol. "I can handle the walkers. I'll get you back safe, Beth. I promise."

After thinking it over she nodded her head. "I got my knife too." She told him glancing up at the guard tower. No one was currently on watch but someone was due to take over at any minute. "Come on."

Leading him down the gravel path they made their way to the fence. After taking a good look around they carefully stepped through the opening. Beth made sure it was secure before they headed into the woods. "See? Its not so bad now is it?" Liam joked placing his arm around her shoulder.

"I guess." She smiled.

In cellblock C Rick was talking to Hershel and Glenn when Michonne and Daryl walked in. When he saw they didn't bring anything back he got worried. "Is everything all right?"

Daryl glanced at Michonne before opening his mouth. "Someone got there before us, they took everythin.'"

"That store had plenty last time we were there." Glenn spoke up.

"Yeah we thought so too, but I'm telling ya they didn't leave anythin'. Not a pack of crackers, nothin.'" Daryl explained.

"Whoever was there must have a lot of people in their camp." Michonne interrupted.

"She thinks it could be the Governor." Daryl sighed.

Just the sound of his name put Rick on edge. They hadn't heard anything from him since the attack on the prison. In that time they may have gotten too comfortable. They weren't ready for another assault anytime soon but he knew they needed to get prepared. "Ok, we don't know for sure its him but just in case I want the cellblocks on lockdown. No one is to go in or out unless its run by me, Daryl, or Hershel. We all know who's supposed to be on watch tonight. Make sure whoever is up in the guard tower is armed and has binoculars. Tomorrow we'll discuss this further but for tonight I want everyone in their cells." He instructed. "Is everyone here?"

"No," Carol said. "Beth is still gone."

Sighing to himself he glanced at Hershel who looked worried. "All right, I'll walk around and try to find her. Daryl, you and Michonne fill anyone in who's confused. I'll be back as soon as I find her."

Once everyone was clear about his instructions Rick headed outside. It was nearly sundown and no sign of the blonde girl. With his keys in hand he headed into D-block where most of the Woodbury refugees lived. As soon as he stepped inside he spotted Karen. "Hey Karen, is Liam back yet?"

"No, have you seen him?"

"No, I just know he was with Beth. Carol told me they were taking a walk before supper but they're not back yet."

"Well I haven't seen him."

Sighing Rick ran a hand over his face. "What do you know about this kid? I know he came from Woodbury..."

"He didn't come from Woodbury." Karen interrupted. "He just kind of showed up one day. He said you and Daryl found him wandering the roads and asked him if he needed a place to stay."

Her words shocked him. "That didn't happen."

"That's what he told all of us but in all honesty he never really says anything to the rest of us. He mostly keeps to his cell."

"Where's his cell?" He asked.

Wordlessly Karen led him to the very back of the cellblock. Inside it looked like every other cell but there had been no personal touches. Whoever had lived in the prison for a while had made their cell their own little hideaway. Liam's was bare. Taking a step inside Rick checked the desk but found nothing. Then when he lifted the mattress he found a black notebook. "That's his," Karen told him. "I saw him writing in it on a few occasions."

Picking up the book he flipped through the pages. Inside was a timeline, when someone took watch, when they ate their meals, whenever someone left to go on a run. Turning the page he saw Beth's name. 'She's young, naïve, she'll tell me everything I need to know.' That sentence put Rick into a panic. Holding the journal close he looked at Karen. "I need all of you to stay in here for tonight. We might be on lockdown for a while. Don't go out unless its absolutely necessary."

Rick stepped out of the cell in a hurry. He had to talk to everyone. They needed to find Beth and quick. When he ran into the yard he saw Daryl and Glenn coming towards him. "Everyone's been told," Glenn sighed then he noticed what Rick was holding. "What's that?"

"Liam's journal. He's a spy for someone, he's been watching our every move and writing it down in here." Opening the book he let the two men look it over.

"Holy shit," Daryl mumbled.

"Wait there's pages missing back here." Glenn pointed out. "What if he was passing along his findings to whoever he's working for?"

"I don't know but he has Beth right now. We need to find her before Liam tries anything. Split up, cover every corner of the prison. We'll meet back here once an area is clear."

The woods were starting to get dark when Beth stopped. "We should head back." She sighed moving away from Liam's arm.

"Why? I thought we were having fun."

"I just don't want to be out here after dark. Its scary enough seeing them during the day." She muttered as she started to turn back.

"Wait," Liam blurted grabbing her arm. "Come on, I'm right here. I won't let anything happen to you."

Pulling her arm from his grasp she shook her head. "We really need to go back."

As she turned around she heard a click of a gun. Facing Liam she saw he had his pistol drawn, aimed right at her. "No, we really don't." His usual calm voice had taken a dark turn.

"Liam what are you...?" She questioned raising her hands.

"Come on, Beth, we have somewhere we need to be." He snapped grabbing her arm again, pushing his gun against her back. "And don't try and do anything stupid."

Beth could feel herself shaking as he led her through the woods. With the light seeming to fade faster and faster she realized Liam knew his way around. They never ran into a tree or tripped over a branch the entire time they made their way deeper into the woods. After twenty minutes of walking she noticed a campfire in the distance. Then she saw a face that had terrified her ever since he shot at her home. 'The Governor.' She thought and Liam was leading her right to him.

"Good job Liam," He spoke placing a hand on Liam's shoulder.

"The others have no clue. No one was on watch when we left." Liam told the older man.

"Good," The Governor sighed. Leaning down he placed a hand under Beth's chin. "My apprentice here has told me a lot about you, Miss Greene."

"W-why did you take me?" Beth stammered.

She heard Liam chuckle from behind her. "Come on Beth, I know how you feel about Rick. You're like a lovesick puppy over him. Its pathetic really but then I saw you two kiss that night in the guard tower." His words stung. "We had to take something precious to your leader, make him see our way of thinking. I was originally gonna take his son but I knew you would pose a lesser threat."

"And look how right he was." The Governor smirked. "Tie her up over there. Our plan is almost ready."

As they led her away she noticed a lot of people staring at her. A few had their guns drawn, they were ready to shoot her if she tried anything. Liam still had his pistol pressed into her back as he led her to an oak tree close to camp. Two more men joined him to help keep her restrained. Before she had the chance to say anything they pushed her to the cold ground and tied her to the tree like an animal. Keeping her mouth shut she sat there while they tightened the ropes. Her blue eyes narrowed when she noticed Liam crouch down at her feet. "Just for extra precaution." Liam whispered tying her feet together as well. "Now just be a good girl, ok? If you're lucky maybe you'll get to see your sheriff again."

Beth wanted to cry, scream, cuss him out but nothing came. She felt numb. How could she had been so foolish? Even after everything that's happened she was still that weak little girl back at the farm. When Liam walked away she stared at the people in front of her. The Governor's army was even bigger than the last time, way bigger than the group at the prison and definitely had more firepower. Liam and the other men stepped away to join the Governor but she saw someone watching her out of the corner of her eye.

She knew she had to escape, she couldn't just wait to see what they had planned. Rick and the others needed a warning. Now she just had to come up with a plan.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: To You

After searching the prison for two hours Rick, Daryl, and Glenn were at a dead end. There were no clues telling them which way Liam took Beth when they left the grounds. With hours until daylight they were hesitant to leave the prison. They could handle the walkers but with Liam and whoever he was working with out there they had no idea who they were up against. "Ok so they had to go out that way," Rick started pointing to the opening they had made in the fence. "Beth either went willingly or he forced her but after that they could be anywhere in those woods."

"Yeah but if we try to figure out where we could be walking right into a trap." Daryl sighed adjusting his crossbow.

"Maybe that's what Liam and his boss are counting on." Glenn pondered.

Rick frowned, they had good points, he just needed to know Beth was ok. He felt useless just standing around while she was out there with someone who could potentially hurt her. Or worse. "We're gonna have to wait til morning. We may not know what we're up against but at least we'll have some light on our side." No matter how much he hated it he knew waiting til sunrise would be their best option.

"What are ya gonna tell Hershel and Maggie?" Daryl asked.

"I haven't thought that far yet." Rick mumbled. "But we do know Beth was alive when she left the grounds."

"And if he's using her to get information about us and the prison he _needs _her alive." Glenn commented.

"Yeah, but how long until he gets what he wants and just gets rid of her?" Daryl spoke. "He chose Beth for a reason. He thinks she's the easiest target. How do we know she hasn't spilled her guts just to protect herself?" Daryl didn't want to believe what he was saying but they had to explore all of their options.

"She wouldn't do that," Rick blurted, the words slipped out before he had the chance to stop them. "All I'm saying is Beth would never betray us, her family to save her own skin. And that's what I'm most afraid of." His voice trailed off, every single terrifying scenario raced through his head.

Glenn swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then there's everything they would do to try and get information from her."

Rick cringed. "We gotta find her before they get that chance. As soon as we see daylight we're going out there." He told them before heading to the cellblocks.

Struggling against her restraints Beth tried her best to loosen them but no matter how she tried her back never left the tree. Looking around she noticed the original man who had been watching her had left and was replaced with an older gentleman. With the light from the campfire she could see his grey beard reminding her of her father. Blinking tears away she knew she couldn't be upset at that moment. She had to concentrate on escaping and finding her way back to the prison. Glancing down at her jeans she realized. They forgot to take her knife away. With a small smile on her face she slightly angled her body so the weapon wouldn't be noticeable when someone stared at her. If she could just get her hand on it she could cut her ropes and slip away from camp before anyone saw her. She just had to wait until he guard turned his attention somewhere else.

Leaning her head back on the tree she heard muffled voices coming from the tent closest to her. Thinking back she remembered that was the Governor's tent. "In the morning we're gonna interrogate her. Anything she knows about the prison we need to know." Hearing the Governor's harsh voice made Beth shiver.

"What if she doesn't talk?" A voice she didn't recognize asked.

"She will, that's why I brought her." Liam chuckled. "She's the only one in that group I know will talk especially after we use some persuasion."

"Exactly so when we learn what she knows we'll attack their weak points. By tonight the prison should be ours." The Governor barked.

Putting the pieces together Beth narrowed her eyes. They were going to use _her _for information and then use it against Rick and the others. Now she had more incentive to get away. She knew the prison had no chance if they were ambushed again, even with all the new people they were in no way prepared to fight an army.

Turning her head she looked at her guard, he was still watching her but she could tell by the look in his eyes he was tired. 'That's good, just go ahead and nod off.' She thought putting her own plan together in her head.

Back at the prison Rick stood in the guard tower scanning the tops of the trees for the first glimpse of daylight. He had no idea what time it was but everything seemed to be going in slow motion. All he could do was hope Beth was ok. Guilt was still gnawing away at him. If he hadn't pushed her away, if he kept a closer eye on her, kept her close Liam wouldn't have been able to take her. He had been trying to repress his feelings for her for so long when she was actually gone he realized just how much he needed her in his life. Even when everything else in life seemed hopeless she always made his day better. For a long time he couldn't understand how with everything they've been through Beth could still smile, sing, and try to live her life instead of just survive it. Now he knew that was just Beth, who she was, and he needed her back.

"Rick!" A voice called from the ground below.

Looking down he saw Hershel coming towards him. Without saying a word Rick headed down to meet the older man. Judging by the look on his face Rick knew this wouldn't be a friendly talk. "Hershel I know what you're thinking..."

"No, no you don't." Hershel sighed. "For so long I've tried to keep Beth away from all this. I wanted her to remain the same sweet girl she's been since she was born." Rick could see the man's eyes well up with tears. "And by trying to keep her safe I haven't prepared her for this."

"Hershel you can't prepare someone for this. We didn't know this was gonna happen. If we could have prevented it we would have." Now Rick realized he was starting to sound like Beth, she had rubbed off on him.

"She's out there with a monster."

"And we're gonna get her back."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

The words cut like a knife and Rick knew no matter how hopeful he could be there was a possibility Beth wouldn't come back alive. "I'm not sure, all I know is I'm sure as hell gonna try and bring her back to you."

Hershel let out a shaky sigh. "That's all I can ask."

Nodding his head Rick put a hand on the man's shoulder. "It should be morning soon, I'm gonna get my team together."

Leaving Hershel he headed to the cellblocks where Daryl and Glenn were waiting. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Maggie getting her gun together. At first he was a little hesitant to bring her. He feared she would act out of rage if she saw Beth was injured or worse. "Maggie..." He started but was silenced by the icy look on the eldest Greene daughter's face.

"If you think I'm gonna sit here while that asshole has my sister you're wrong." She snapped. "I'm goin' with you."

Knowing there was no way of convincing her otherwise he nodded his head. "Ok I think we need to bring Tyreese and Sasha with us as well. They were out there in those woods for weeks before they found us. They should know the area."

"I'll go get 'em." Daryl volunteered picking up his crossbow and leaving the room.

At the top of the catwalk Rick saw Carl watching them. "I'll be right back." He told the group before walking up to his son. "Hey you ok?"

Without a word Carl nodded once. His eyes still focused on the floor below them. Leaning down Rick placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're gonna get her back."

Carl cringed. "Yeah...I've heard that before." He mumbled.

Rick was confused at first then he remembered. Sophia. They had been in this situation before and both times the one missing was Carl's good friend. Taking a deep breath Rick's blue eyes met his son's. "I know this is hard but..."

"Dad don't, don't make promises you can't keep." Carl whispered.

He was right, Rick knew that. There were no guarantees she was coming back safe. Kissing his son's head he told them to stay close to Carol and Judith while he was gone. "I love you both." He told him.

"Yeah...love you too." Carl murmured, turning around to head to their cell.

By this time Beth's plan of escape was slowly falling apart. Her guard wasn't falling asleep and she knew the sun would rise soon. In her head she was starting to accept that she was possibly going to be killed at the hands of the Governor. She wasn't going to see her family again. She was never going to see Rick again. Biting her bottom lip the tears she had tried to hard to keep at bay had started to fall. After everything she'd been through she still wasn't strong enough to save herself. Dropping her head she began to softly pray. "Dear God, I know there are far more important things in the world that need you right now...but I need to get back to them." Letting out a shaky sigh she continued. "Please, I just need _something_ to help me right now. Please." Whispering the last word she lifted her head up to heard snoring coming from her right.

She wanted to scream in happiness seeing her guard sleeping at his post. Acting quickly she shimmied her arm down to grab her knife. Her fingertips brushed the cool metal of the top of the knife but she still couldn't reach it. Stretching her hand around more two of her fingers grasped the handle. Taking a more firm hold she unsheathed the weapon and pointed it up. Slowly the rubbed the blade against the ropes. With the sounds of snoring urging her on she continued to cut at the rope until finally they broke apart, dropping to the ground.

As quietly as she could she stood from her spot on the ground. Keeping a firm grip on her knife Beth tiptoed out of the camp. Crouching down she kept an eye out for anyone who could stop her, stopping in her tracks every time she heard a twig snap. Taking one more look back at the camp she started retracing her steps from when Liam brought her and headed back to where she hoped the prison would be. The cool morning air made her hair stand on end, an eery fog had moved in making her feeling like _something _would pop out at any time. She knew not only did she have to worry about the Governor's group back at camp but walkers were still lurking around. She had heard their moans all throughout the night. Tightening her grip on her knife even more she kept moving, her eyes wide open and her mind chanting a silent prayer.

Back at camp the sun was going to rise in a matter of minutes when Liam left his tent. Knowing Beth would be thirsty he decided to be nice enough to get her a drink. After grabbing a small cup of water he headed to where their prisoner was tied up. As he approached the tree he heard snoring. When he saw the cut ropes on the ground he dropped the cup. Looking around he saw no sign of the blonde girl. "Oh shit," He growled running over to the Governor's tent.

When the leader of the group learned their prisoner had escaped he was furious. "What the hell happened?!" He snapped glaring at his apprentice.

"The fucking guard fell asleep." Liam explained his eyes fixed on the older man behind the Governor who was slowly waking up.

Stretching his limbs Dennis saw the two men walking towards him. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know Dennis why don't you tell me why our prisoner is gone." The Governor spat.

"What are you talking about? She's right over there." Dennis defended pointing behind them but when he saw the girl was gone. "I swear she was right there!"

The Governor didn't speak. His eyes were glued to the older man who started arguing with Liam. Without a word he pulled his pistol out and shot Dennis in the head. Hearing the shot made Liam jump back in surprise. When he saw Dennis' body fall he stared at his boss in shock. "Come on, she couldn't have gotten far." The man spoke putting his gun away.

Still stunned by the heartless murder of Dennis Liam followed the man he had looked up to as a father figure to the center of the camp. The gunshot had woken everyone and now they stood outside their tents still wearing their pajamas and were confused as to what was going on. "What was that?" A woman questioned.

Ignoring her the Governor spoke up. "Last night a woman entered our camp, she stole one of our weapons. She stabbed Dennis in the head leaving him to turn into a biter." Feigning sadness he shook his head. "I was forced to take care of him but _she _is still out there, going back to her group and telling them about us. They want what we have!"

Voices spoke up, some of them worried, others were already starting to pack up their belongings. "Shouldn't we get out of here?"

"No, we're gonna get them before they can get us. The girl couldn't have gotten far. If we get her the others don't stand a chance. They won't know about us."

"Then lets go!" A man exclaimed.

"Fan out!" The Governor commanded. When he turned around Liam stood in front of him. "What is it?"

"You lied to them." Liam whispered. "How could you lie to them like that?"

"What they don't know won't hurt them. With the whole camp looking for her, Beth will be found within the hour. Now come on," He scowled walking past the younger man.

Sunlight streamed through the trees as Beth ran. She tripped a few times, briars cutting her hands and piercing her skin through her jeans but she kept moving. When she stopped to catch her breath she could hear rustling from all around her. She couldn't tell if it was because of walkers or people from the camp. "I have to be getting close," She muttered taking off in a sprint again.

At the prison Daryl had decided to leave the fence to take care of any walkers that had been gathering around the area. Outside the cellblocks Rick stood with his team telling them what they were going to do. "We don't want a big fight. Our aim is to get Beth and get out."

"What if they want a fight?" Sasha asked.

"Then that's what we're gonna have to do. Keep a sharp eye out, we don't know who we're up against."

When everyone understood what they were about to do they started to walk down the gravel path to the big gates where Carol and Karen were waiting. "Make sure to have someone in the guard tower," Rick told the two women.

"Oh he's already volunteered," Karen answered pointing to the tower where Carl stood.

Nodding his head Rick led the group through the gates. Keeping his hand on his gun he looked around for Daryl. "Lets go," He mumbled.

Over the sounds of her breathing Beth listened for anyone following her. She was sure someone was going to jump out at her at any moment. Just when she thought she would never find her way out of the woods she saw the familiar prison fences through the trees. Picking up speed she ran through the opening almost breaking out in tears when she realized she made it home. Looking around she saw Rick and others walking through the gates. "Rick!" She yelled getting his attention.

When Rick heard his name he stopped. Turning his head he spotted her blonde hair first. Taking off in a sprint he ran towards her. His heart in his throat as he got closer. Then to his horror someone grabbed her from behind making her scream. Pulling his Colt Python out he pointed it at Liam who had his own gun pointed at her head. "Let her go," Rick spoke, his voice harsh.

"I-I can't," Liam stammered. "He'll kill me! Just like he killed Dennis!" He was close to tears thinking about the Governor's cruelness.

Beth was stunned. This wasn't the Liam who mocked her the night before. This one was a frightened boy who acted like he just got in trouble for breaking his neighbor's window with a baseball. "Yes, you can." Rick reasoned. "Let her go, and we can work this out. No one has to get hurt."

Rick could see the inner battle Liam was fighting. His hand holding the gun to Beth's temple was shaking. Lowering his weapon Rick stood in front of the younger boy. "You don't want to do this." Rick whispered.

Closing his eyes Liam dropped his gun, slightly pushing Beth towards the man. Without a second thought Beth ran towards him. When she got close enough she wrapped her arms around Rick's midsection. His eyes widened at first but almost immediately Rick responded to the hug. One of his hands caressed her head. He could feel her shaking as her hands clung to the back of his shirt. "Its ok, you're safe now," He muttered so only she could hear.

"Its the Governor, Liam brought me to him," She told him, her voice rushed. "He wanted me to tell him about the prison, about you."

Before Rick could process what she told him the first shots ran out making his blood run cold. They were close and here the couple were standing out in the open.


	12. Chapter 12

**Oh my gosh thank you so much for all the reviews, they really make my day. I'm so glad people like my story and I hope you all continue to enjoy it, especially during this long hiatus. As usual I do not own The Walking Dead or its characters :)**

Chapter 12: Moving forward

The gunfire came from all directions. They couldn't tell where it was coming from or who was shooting but they just knew they had nowhere to run. Out of instinct Rick pulled Beth to the ground covering her body with his own. He tried yelling to the others, tell them to get down but he knew they couldn't hear him over the shots. Pieces of grass and dirt flew into the air all around them. Not caring if he was hit he tried his best to cover Beth's head with his arms. Hanging onto his shirt Beth turned her head to where Liam stood, he didn't move, his body was being pelted by bullets. The sight of his blood flying made her cringe. Then she saw him mouth two words. "I'm sorry." Before he fell to the ground in a bloody pool.

Blinking back tears Beth reached up in a pathetic attempt to protect Rick. Her hands covered the back of his neck, her fingers gently rubbing the skin there. Feeling her touch Rick looked down at her, even in their situation her eyes held a warmth that made his heart clench. He hoped no one could see them as he slowly leaned his forehead on hers. In that moment it seemed like everything fell away, it was only them sharing a moment they had been denying themselves for so long. Then the reality of their situation hit them when a shot hit right next to Rick's arm. They knew they had to move, try to find cover but how?

He was about to move off of her when it all stopped. Lifting his head Rick looked around for the Governor or anyone that was responsible for the attack. Cautiously he stood up taking a good look around but he couldn't see the threat. Without saying anything he helped Beth to her feet. When she was standing he pulled her behind him acting as a shield just in case the shots continued. 'It can't be over.' He thought. 'He could kill us now without a second thought, what's stopping him?'

Taking Beth's hand he led them to where he left the group. One by one they crept out of their hiding spots. When Rick saw Maggie he reluctantly dropped Beth's hand. In an instant the Greene sisters were in a tight hug, both with tears streaming down their faces while the rest of the group looked on. "I hate to ruin the moment, but what the fuck just happened?" Daryl interrupted. "Why the hell did they stop all of a sudden?"

Moans were heard coming from the woods making everyone stop. "Come on, lets get back inside, we'll talk about this there." Rick commanded gently pulling Beth along with him.

Inside the cellblock Hershel was the first person Beth ran to, hugging him tight as everyone else came to join them. The sight made Rick smile slightly but then the questions started. 'Who was out there? Who took Beth? Why did the shots stop? Are they coming back?' Holding his hands up Rick tried to get everyone's attention. "It was the Governor, he's back." Was the first thing he said. Looking out into the crowd he saw Michonne tense. "Beth told me they wanted to use her to get information about us, the prison. I guess we can go ahead and assume he was the one responsible for the attack."

Beth stood next to Rick. "His group is bigger," Her voice made everyone turn their attention to her. "They're ready for a bigger attack at any time."

"The walkers probably heard the shots and followed them. It could have been a herd, they could have overpowered the Governor's group. They probably saved us this morning but we need to be ready for if they come back." Rick told the group.

"We need more ammo, I think I know a place but its far." Daryl said. "I think only two people should go, the less people that go the more we'll have here in case ol' eye patch decides to come back."

Rick nodded his head. "You and Glenn go."

Without a word Daryl and Glenn headed out leaving everyone else worried. Hershel watched as a few panicked faces walked around the cellblock. Turning his attention to his youngest daughter he noticed her bloody hands and dirty face. "Bethy, lets get you cleaned up, ok?"

It was the first time Beth actually acknowledged her wounds. Stealing a quick glance at Rick she headed to her cell with her father and sister right behind her. Knowing she needed to be with her family for a while Rick decided to go check on his son. He had been in the guard tower during the entire assault, he needed to make sure Carl was ok before he made any other moves. Walking outside he saw the boy coming towards him. "Hey, I was just coming for you. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I saw the truck leave, what's going on?"

"The Governor's back with an army." Rick explained. "Daryl and Glenn have gone on a supplies run. We need to be prepared just in case this happens again."

Carl shook his head. "You know this wouldn't have happened if you killed him when you had the chance."

Rick sighed, he was about to argue when he saw his son walk away. "Where are you going?"

"Back on watch," Was all he said before climbing back up the guard tower.

After several hours of being fawned over by her family Beth was finally left alone to gather her thoughts. She felt better after a shower and a change of clothes, now she just wanted rest. When she laid down on her bunk she couldn't bring herself to sleep. No matter how hard she tried she just kept thinking of the night before and then the morning that followed. Even though it was terrifying scenario Rick's body on top of hers made her feel a safeness that she had never experienced. She thought she felt that with Jimmy but it was nothing compared to Rick. Her feelings towards Rick were something she had never felt before. It definitely wasn't a schoolgirl crush anymore, she knew slowly but surely she was falling in love with the former Sheriff deputy.

The whole time Daryl and Glenn were gone Rick was on edge. He kept his rifle on him at all times feeling sure that the Governor would try to attack again. Walking through the yard he noticed Liam's remains. Even though he hated the kid for what he done Rick wished he knew more about him. The look Liam had when he held onto Beth was one Rick hadn't seen before. He looked so desperate and afraid it made Rick feel almost sorry for him. From what he knew about the Governor he was good at fooling people but they always seemed to see his true colors, even though sometimes it was too late.

Sometime that afternoon Daryl and Glenn returned with bags full of weapons and ammunition. "Wow, where the hell was this place?" Rick found himself asking.

"Old military store," Daryl explained. "It was kind of out of the way so it hadn't been picked over too much."

"Its a good thing we had all that weapon's training going on. We'll need as many people as we can." Glenn spoke.

Nodding once Rick decided it was the best time to check on Beth. He noticed Hershel and Maggie had been staying close to her cell all day but at that moment they were helping Carol with supper. Slipping away from the group he headed over to her cell. Peaking inside he saw her fiddling with the bandage wrapped around her hand. "Hey," Hearing his voice made her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Stepping into the small room he crouched down in front of her. "Here, let me." He whispered reaching out to help her with the bandage.

Feeling his rough hands against her soft ones made her shiver. With a tender touch he made sure the wrap was secure but when he was done he didn't pull away. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke up. "He didn't do this did he?" He asked gesturing to her hand.

Shaking her head she muttered. "N-no, I fell when I was running through the woods."

Nodding once he moved to sit beside her, keeping enough distance between them. "I think I was wrong before." He mumbled, keeping his voice soft enough for only her to hear.

Looking up she asked. "About what?"

"About us, we can't go back to the way we were before." Biting his bottom lip he chose his next words wisely. "I care about you too much to just let it go like that."

Beth was shocked but at the same time she was overjoyed. Maybe her feelings weren't so crazy. Gently she reached out to touch his hand with hers. When he squeezed hers in return she couldn't help but grin. "So what does this mean?"

"Honestly I wish I knew, its hard to explain but whatever goes on I think its best for it to stay between us for a while. The group's been through too much, I don't think they can handle a big shock again for a while."

"Ok, I understand."

Leaning over he kissed her forehead. "I have to get back but I promise I will find you later, ok?"

Nodding she gave him a warm smile as he left the cell. Laying on her bunk she finally allowed herself to sleep. She no longer felt scared because she knew she had a man that could protect her and she would try her best to make sure she would be there for him whenever he needed her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Honesty

A few weeks had passed since Beth's return to the prison. In that time things slowly started going back to normal with the exception of Rick and Beth's relationship. Each morning and evening he would visit her and Judith in her cell and stay until after almost everyone in the cellblock was asleep. Their meetings were innocent enough, they found themselves talking about anything other than the usual conversations that went on at the prison. Beth was grateful because in that time she felt like she began to see the real Rick Grimes, not the leader or the sheriff deputy, the man behind the gun. Someone very few got to see. With each passing day she felt herself falling more and more in love with him but was absolutely terrified to tell him. 'Its too soon,' She kept telling herself. 'What if I scare him off?'

When they were in the privacy of Beth's cell it was simple, they were in their own little world with no one around to judge them. Unfortunately they still had their own lives to lead with the prying eyes of the rest of the group all around them. They tried to keep things as normal as possible but sometimes they couldn't help the lingering stares they gave each other. He found himself always keeping an eye out whenever she was around, call it his protective instincts ever since he got her back but he was about to let anything happen to her again.

One night Beth was finishing up sewing one of Rick's shirts when she heard a soft knocking outside her cell. Expecting to see the man she loved she pulled her hair out of her usual ponytail and waited. "Come in," She called.

To her surprise she saw her father standing there. "You too busy to talk to your old man?" He told her, stepping into the tiny room.

"Of course not," She smiled taking a seat on the floor so he could sit on the bunk.

Sitting down on the thin mattress the older man noticed the shirt she was mending. "Have you noticed a change in Rick these past few weeks?"

Trying her best to keep calm she shrugged. "Well nothing's really happened since the Governor, maybe he's trying to enjoy it for a while."

"Or maybe its because he's been around you for so long."

His words shocked her to the point she almost stabbed herself in the finger with the needle. "Daddy...he's been around Judith, I just happen to be holding her."

"That's quite a change from the man we knew for so long and I know that change is because of you."

Beth looked at her father, he didn't seem mad or disappointed, he seemed completely normal. She wasn't sure if she be concerned or not. "You gotta admit its been nice around here for once."

"It has, I just hope it stays like this. I don't think the group can handle anymore surprises."

_Now_ Beth was concerned. Even if he didn't say it out loud she knew her father was suspicious but she was gonna beat around the bush until he confronted her. "Yeah, I think everyone's been through enough," She muttered.

"That they have," Hershel sighed, rubbing his hands on his pants. "Well I'm gonna head to bed. See you in the morning, Bethy."

"Good night, Daddy." Beth whispered as she watched him walk out.

Focusing on the shirt she still held she tried her best to sew the rip but her father's words echoed in her head. She hated lying to him about her and Rick but she was afraid what he would say about the relationship. After all the time she spent with him the last thing she wanted to hear was she couldn't be with Rick anymore. What they had wasn't what she would consider inappropriate. They barely kissed, even though she wished it was more often. She felt comfortable around him, something she never thought she would feel since when she first met him she was a nervous wreck whenever she was in the same room as him. There was something else she was felt when she was around him, something that was so rare it scared her to get used to it. He made her feel safe. In this new world safety was something you couldn't take for granted, even if you lived in a prison. He was like her old teddy bear she always kept to keep the monsters away.

Once she finished mending the shirt she folded it neatly and placed it on her bed to give to Rick when he came by. Glancing at Judith Beth smiled, the little girl was fast asleep in her crib. Sitting up on her knees Beth admired the baby, how she could sleep so peacefully with everything going on around her. Resting her arms on the sides of the crib Beth wondered what Judith was dreaming about, if she even dreamed at all.

Feeling two hands on her shoulders she looked up to see Rick standing above her. "Hey," She breathed, a grin on her face.

"Hey," He whispered, his eyes glancing between her and his daughter. "How's your night been?"

Biting her bottom lip she tried to figure out the best way to tell him about what her father said. Moving to sit on her bunk she nervously played with her hands. "Daddy came by to talk," She explained not meeting his eyes.

Seeing her uneasiness Rick took a seat beside her. "Beth, what's wrong?" He asked.

When she didn't answer he reached over to interlace their fingers, hoping that would comfort her enough to talk to him. "I think Daddy might know about us."

Rick waited patiently as she told him the whole story. Just by looking at her face he could tell she was worried but he waited until she was done before he spoke up. "Do you want him to know?"

Opening her mouth she thought about her answer before sighing. "I mean...I kinda do but I'm kind of afraid what he'll say." Pausing she stammered. "W-what about Maggie? Daddy could probably get used to it but Maggie...Oh God, what will she say? I just don't want her to get mad at you..."

Squeezing her hand he tried his best to calm her down. "Beth, breathe," He whispered. "If you want to tell them...we will, together."

Her eyes widened. "Are you sure? I mean, I understand if you don't want to be with me because of this or what they'll say."

"Wait, is that what you're so worried about? I won't want to be with you if they don't approve?"

Frowning she nodded her head. "I just thought..."

"Beth I was serious when I said I care too much about you and this to just throw it all away. Is it gonna be hard to tell them? Yeah, but we knew it couldn't be a secret forever."

"Let's just wait a little longer, ok?"

Nodding once he leaned over to give her a sweet kiss. "I'll see you in the morning ok? I'm going on a early run with Michonne and Carl."

Then another realization hit her. "How are we gonna tell Carl?"

"To be honest I've been thinking about that every night." He told her. "Its not gonna be easy, I think its gonna be worse than telling Maggie and Hershel."

"I just don't want him to think I'm trying to be his mom and take Lori's place."

"It'll take some time but hopefully he'll come around." Even though he knew it wouldn't be that easy he didn't want to make her worry more than she already was. Lightly kissing her forehead he told her good night before heading to his own cell. Seeing his son already asleep on the top bunk made Rick frown. He knew his life now was complicated, he just wasn't aware _how _complicated it could be.

The next day while the others were on their run Beth decided to keep busy and help Carol harvest some of the last of their vegetables they had left growing in their garden. With fall soon approaching they knew they had a limited amount of time to get everything they needed before the cold nights. "These look pretty good," Beth pointed out pulling some weeds away.

"I think so too." Carol answered. "I found a gardening book in the library, it said carrots, broccoli, and beets can still grow in the fall so I thought we would get all this out of here and start fresh."

"Will we have to cover them at night?" Beth asked looking over to see Judith happily playing on the blanket they had laid out on the grass.

"Maybe not for a while, that's the good thing about Georgia, it doesn't get too cold too quickly. That will earn us some time to find some kind of tarp before the frost really does hit."

Beth nodded her head as she pulled more weeds out of the ground. She had to admit she did like working in the garden with Carol. It was a nice distraction because she always found herself being a nervous wreck when Rick left the prison. She wondered how he was doing, if he had talked to Carl about them yet. The thought of Carl hating her as some kind of wicked step mom plagued her the previous night. She had always thought of Carl as a friend, she risked her life to save him and she would do it again in a heartbeat even if he did hate her.

Hearing Judith coo Beth looked up. The little girl was smiling so big and lifting her arms into the air. "Want to see what she's been practicing?" Beth questioned the older woman sitting beside her.

"Of course," Carol smiled dusting some of the dirt off her hands.

Walking over to the baby Beth sat with her legs of Judith and lifted her. Carol smiled wide seeing the little girl start to clumsily crawl along the blanket. "Oh my gosh, she'll be up and walking around before we know it."

"I know, these are the times I wish we had a camera," Beth giggled picking the laughing baby up into her arms.

"They're back!" They heard Sasha yell from the guard tower.

Exhaling a sigh of relief Beth relaxed a little watching the green SUV come through the gates. Through the windshield she saw Rick driving with Michonne in the passenger seat. She couldn't tell how the run went by their expressions but she was anxious to see if Rick had talked to Carl. "Want to go see if they need a hand?" Carol asked snapping Beth away from her thoughts.

Nodding her head Beth picked up Judith to meet the car at the cellblocks. When Rick saw her he sent her a small smile that went unnoticed by the others gathering the group's finding's from the back of the car. "Get anythin' good?" Daryl questioned picking up one of the bags.

"Some batteries, a few lanterns, and some thicker blankets, we kind of had a close call with a passing herd. We could only grab what we could." Rick explained.

"No sign of the Governor either," Michonne spoke, she had made it a point to be on watch at all times just in case the eye patched man made an appearance.

Beth sighed in relief. "Come on, lets get all this inside." Daryl told the group.

Beth stood with Judith in her arms watching as the car was slowly unloaded. When it was all done she noticed Rick coming towards her. "How are my girls doing?" He whispered so no one else could hear.

"Just fine, we were helping Carol in the garden, weren't we Judy?" Beth cooed to the baby making her giggle.

Seeing Beth with his daughter had quickly become one of his favorite parts of Rick's day. The way she made Judith laugh and the motherly look Beth always had when she interacted with the baby made any anger or stress he had melt away. It was a little bittersweet knowing Lori would never have those moments but he knew he had to move on, it wasn't doing him or anyone else any good living in the past. "Well I'm glad you two had a good day," he smiled, his hand gently brushing the small of Beth's back. "Come on, lets get inside."

After putting Judith down for a quick nap Beth went to help Carol cook supper. While she was chopping a few of the vegetables they collected that day she saw her friend smile at her. The whole time they had been working Beth noticed Carol giving her odd looks. Finally she had to say something. "What?" She asked the older woman.

"What what?" Carol chuckled.

"Why are you acting like you know something I don't?"

Carol shook her head. "No, I think I know something you don't want anyone to know." She explained. "You and Rick."

Beth's mouth dropped. "C-Carol, its not what you think."

"So he's the one you've been so stuck on all this time. Now I understand why you weren't interested in Liam or anyone else, you already had your heart set on him."

Shifting on her feet Beth tried to keep her eyes anywhere other than Carol. It was making her uncomfortable that Carol had the exact opposite reaction she was expecting. Instead of yelling she was smiling and her eyes held a kindness that made Beth feel better about her current situation. "You're taking this way better than I thought." She muttered.

"Well I'm not your father and sister," Carol commented making Beth frown. "I'm your friend and I don't know when this started but I do know when you got back from being taken by Liam I expected the Beth I first met back on the farm. After what you went through...I have to admit I was concerned you would have another scar." Carol chose her words wisely, glancing down she saw the faint line along the skin of Beth's wrist. "I was wrong, you're not that girl anymore. You've grown into a beautiful young woman. You should be allowed to make your own decisions, even if some people don't understand them."

Beth wanted to cry, it was the first time someone in their camp actually called her a woman instead of a kid. Stepping towards her friend Beth embraced her, "Thank you," She told her before pulling away. "I still don't know how I'm gonna tell Daddy and Maggie."

"Well sooner is better than later. I'm sure they won't be too happy you've kept it a secret this long but promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Love is a complicated thing now, we have to be extremely careful. It was hard enough before all this. Just promise me you and Rick are being smart about this relationship."

"I know and trust me we've taken our time to really understand what's going on between us. We're taking it extremely slow. I mean, I know how hard it was on him to lose Lori and I never want to step on her toes as a mom to Carl and Judith."

Carol smiled. "You're wise beyond your years."

"I hope Daddy and Maggie think the same."

Learning Carol approved of the relationship Beth felt a little better. That was one person in their group down now they just had to let everyone else know, starting with her father and Maggie. After supper she caught up with Rick before he had to take watch. "I'm ready," She blurted.

"Are you sure?" He asked, he had to admit he was nervous. He felt like he was a sixteen year old boy taking a girl out on their first date and he had to meet her father first. Seeing him sitting in the living room with a shotgun on his lap didn't help Rick's nerves.

"Yes, I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be able to go up and talk to you anytime I want and not just because of Judith. I think its time."

Nodding once Rick took her hand in his. "Ok then, as long as you're ready for it I'm right here."

Stepping into the cellblock they saw Hershel and Maggie sitting at one of the tables. Everyone else filed out after supper leaving them alone. As Rick and Beth approached them they noticed Maggie look up. "What's going on?" She questioned then noticed their interlocked hands. "What is this?"

"That's what we came to talk to you about." Beth said no evidence of nervousness in her voice but Rick could feel her hand slightly shaking.

"Then you better start talking." Maggie snapped crossing her arms.

Clearing his throat Rick thought it would be best he spoke first. "Let me just say I mean no disrespect to you or Hershel. I think I can safely say neither of us expected this to happen."

"What do you mean?"

Beth glanced at Rick before saying. "We're together."

Maggie looked like she wanted to laugh while Hershel remained emotionless. "You've got to be kidding." Maggie chuckled.

"No, we're not. I wish I could tell you why or how but I can't," Rick explained. "It just did and I want you to know I care about Beth. I'll do my best to keep her safe at all times. We just want you to know, we didn't want to lie about it."

"But you have been lying," Maggie scowled. "When did it happen?"

"When I got back to the prison." Beth answered.

"So you've been lying to us for that long?!" Maggie was focusing on Beth now, for as long as she knew her Beth wasn't a liar. She expected more from her little sister.

"I'm sorry, we just wanted to be sure about this. We just needed some time to figure things out before we told you." Beth told her sister trying her best to control her emotions.

Maggie shook her head. "I can't believe this," Turning her head she looked at her father. "Are you gonna say anything about this?"

Sighing Hershel glanced between Rick and Beth. "I already knew." He spoke surprising everyone. "I know you've tried to keep it a secret, and I'm not happy about you lying about it, but I have seen a change in both of you. At first I wasn't sure if it was for the better but now I'm sure you two have helped each other in ways I don't think anyone else could."

"So you're ok with this?!" Maggie snapped rising from her seat.

"I wouldn't say that, I'm not entirely happy about my daughter dating someone twice her age but I can't keep her away from happiness. Lord knows we need to find it where we can in this world."

Shaking her head Maggie walked away, not even looking in Beth's direction as she went. Letting go of Rick's hand Beth hurried over to her father. "Thank you Daddy." She whispered feeling a few tears escape her eyes.

"No more lying though, ok? And Rick," He said getting the younger man's attention. "I hope you meant what you said about keeping her safe. I'm trusting you with her life."

"I meant every word." Rick promised.

Nodding Hershel stood up with Beth's help. "I'm gonna go check on Maggie. I'll be back soon and we can talk more if you want." He told his youngest daughter before walking out of the cellblock leaving the couple alone.

With a wide grin on her face Beth threw her arms around Rick's neck surprising him at first but instantly his arms wound around her small body, holding her tight to him. "I wasn't expecting that," She murmured.

"Me neither, I thought Maggie was gonna chase me out of here with a rifle though." He sighed pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Do you think she'll come around?"

"She has no choice, whether she likes it or not I'm gonna be with you, for as long as you want me."

In that moment Beth wanted nothing more than to tell him she loved him but she just couldn't get the words out. Standing on her tiptoes she kissed him, it was one of the most passionate kisses they had ever experienced together. Pulling away she realized something. "We still have to tell Carl." She muttered. "Did you say anything to him during the run today?"

"No, he always does his best to avoid me when we're on runs. I tell him what to look for or where we're going but he never really talks."

"Want me to say something to him?"

"No, let me take care of it, if it goes bad I don't want him to take any anger out on you." He explained. "Just know whatever happens I'm gonna be here for you."

"And the same goes for you." Beth smiled giving him another kiss.

**Yay a little bit of fluff, fluff never hurt anybody right? So after watching the finale...a few times, I was wondering if I wanted Dark Rick to make an appearance in this story. Let me know if you want that to happen or just let me know how you like the story so far. Thank you so much :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Leave

The morning after Maggie learned about Beth and Rick she still felt as livid as she was when she first found out. Before all this she kind of suspected Beth had a crush on the man but to think Rick actually reciprocated instead of putting a stop to it infuriated her. She already had to cut open Rick's wife she refused to do it again to her only sister. Of course she wanted Beth to be happy but it wasn't fair for Rick to use someone so young for company bothered her.

When she walked out of the cellblock that morning her first intention was to talk to Rick. She knew Beth wouldn't budge but maybe she could reason with Rick. She found him in the yard talking to Tyreese. "Rick," She called getting his attention. "Can I talk to you?"

Glancing at Tyreese Rick nodded. Placing his hands on his hips he followed Maggie towards the cellblocks. With each step he felt anxious, he had no idea what Maggie was gonna say or do. He could tell she was still angry about the situation and he had a feeling this conversation couldn't go well. "What's going on?" He asked.

"You know damn well what's going on." Maggie snapped. "I didn't say this last night but what makes you think you can take advantage of an eighteen year old? I know you're lonely, Rick, but that doesn't give you the right to do this. Beth would go to the ends of the earth for everyone here, how could you do this to her?"

Rick tried his best to keep calm but with all the accusations Maggie was making it hard on him. He expected her to be angry but to accuse him to taking advantage of Beth and her feelings came out of left field. "Maggie, you've got the wrong idea." He started, his voice deeper than usual. "I wish I could give you clear explanation why..."

"Is it because she takes care of Judith? You see her with your daughter and wish you could have one big happy family?"

"No, its has nothing to do with that." He sighed running his hand over his face he kept going. "What me and Beth have...I can't explain it. She's a great girl and I have no intentions of taking advantage of that. I know its hard to understand but in this world a lot of things are hard to understand right now. I do know Beth makes me happy, she's the only one that helped me really get passed Lori's death. She got me out of real dark place and has kept me from going back there. I'm sorry we lied about it for this long but I'm not sorry for having feelings for your sister. I'm not perfect but I will try to be for her."

Maggie frowned. "And you promise to keep her safe?"

"I'll do my best."

Looking into his eyes she saw how sincere he was. "I still don't like this but all I want is for Beth to be happy and if you can do that then I won't stand in the way."

"Thank you, Maggie. I know all Beth wants is your's and Hershel's approval."

"Yeah well I don't know you have total approval but...just take care of her ok?"

"I will," He promised.

Now Rick felt better. With his talk with Maggie over he was ready to continue with his day but first he needed to see Beth. As if she was reading his mind he saw her leave the cellblock with Judith on her hip. "I saw Maggie come out here, did she find you?" She asked.

"Yeah, and she terrified me at first," He chuckled but when she didn't laugh he sighed. "Its ok, I think she's coming around."

"Really?"

"Yeah, don't worry, now I just have to talk to Carl."

"Are you gonna do it today?"

"I think that will be best. It will be better for both of us when we don't have to sneak around. As soon as he knows the rest of the group can find out as well."

"Ok." She agreed, nodding her head.

"So what are you two doing today?" He questioned running a hand over Judith's hair.

"I don't know, Daddy and Michonne are gonna go take care of corpses and Carol has watch duty with Daryl."

"Well want to take a walk with me if you have the time that is?" He smiled finally getting her to laugh.

"I think I can squeeze you in," She chuckled.

Reaching over he took Judith into his arms with ease. In silence they started walking around the prison. It was much better than the previous walk Beth went on. She stole a few quick glances at Rick as he interacted with Judith. The baby was grinning while her father tickled her stomach. Everyone knew there was a possibility that Judith wasn't his but watching him with her Beth could never see anyone else as Judith's father.

When Beth wasn't talking Rick turned his head to see her smiling at him and Judith. "What are you grinning about?" He asked with a smile of his own on his face.

Beth blushed. "I love you," She blurted.

Suddenly Rick stopped. He didn't expect her to say that and by the look on her face he could tell she didn't mean to say it as well. "Beth...I," He mumbled.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry," She stammered reaching over she grabbed Judith. "I gotta go." As she hurried away she couldn't believe she had said it out loud. She had been thinking it in her head since the previous night but she always stopped herself from saying it. 'Oh my God, what did I just do?' She thought as she headed to her cell.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Rick had been meaning to talk to Carl but his son had been strangely absent the entire afternoon. He wanted to spend time with Beth but he knew by her reaction earlier that morning she probably wouldn't want to see him. When she said those three words he had to admit he was taken back at first, its always surprising to hear that phrase the first time, but when the original shock wore off he realized he was ok with her saying it. Maybe he wasn't ready to say it back but that didn't mean Beth had to. He truly did care for her and he knew at some point he would love her but he wanted to be absolutely sure when he told her he loved her. She deserved that much.

After checking on the former sick ward of the prison he was walking into the yard when he spotted Glenn and Maggie. "Is your dad back yet?" He asked Maggie.

"No, I didn't think they would be gone this long," Maggie answered.

"Well there were only two of them that volunteered to go, its gonna be a while." Glenn told his fiance trying to calm her down.

"Yeah well if they're not back in an hour I'm going after them." She said placing her hands on her hips.

"Rick!" They heard someone yell from the guard tower ending their conversation. Looking up they said Carol pointing outside the gates.

Running towards the fence Rick came to a sudden stop seeing the Governor standing on top of a tank with several cars surrounding them. "What the hell is he doing here?" He heard Glenn gasp.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good. Let everyone know what's going on and be prepared for anything," Rick commanded.

Beth was sitting in her cell writing in her journal when she saw Lizzie and Mika walk by. "Hey Beth," They smiled. "We just came by to see Judith."

"Hey girls, she's sleeping but she should be waking up soon." Beth explained closing her journal and putting in her back pocket.

Sitting on the edge of her bunk she saw the girls gaze at the baby. Both of them loved spending time with the little girl with the exception of changing diapers. Beth thought it would be good for when Judith got older she would have kids around to play with. Mika had already said she would teach Judith how to play hopscotch and jump rope. 'Maybe if I go on another run I can find them some chalk.' Beth thought.

"Is she gonna call you mommy?" Mika asked surprising the older girl.

Beth's mouth fell open. "U-uh, I don't expect her to, why?"

"Because you always take care of her. And you love her." Mika smiled, her innocence made Beth want to hug her and keep her away from the awful things in the world.

Just as Beth was about to answer she heard Maggie call her name. "Maggie, what is it?"

"The Governor is outside," Maggie said quickly. "Girls, you go back to your cellblock and wait. If something happens we need to get out of here fast."

"Wait," Beth commanded grabbing Judith's car seat and gently placing the sleeping baby in it. "Take her with you, make sure to keep an eye on her at all times, ok?"

Lizzie and Mika nodded before lifting up the seat, careful not to disturb Judith too much. When they were gone Beth turned to her sister. "What does he want?" Beth asked Maggie as they headed back outside.

"I don't know, Rick just told us to let everyone know."

Outside they saw Tyreese, Bob, Daryl, Carol, Glenn and Carl standing around the fence. "Where's Rick?" Beth questioned surprising them.

The Greene girls saw them exchange a few worried looks before Daryl spoke up. "Come see for yourself."

When they stepped aside Beth and Maggie cautiously approached the fence. First they saw Rick standing in the yard, his hand resting just above his gun just in case. Then they saw their father on his knees, his hands tied behind his back with the Governor standing beside him to his right and Michonne in the same position to his left. "Oh my God," Maggie whispered.

Beth couldn't hear anything, she was focused on her father in the hands of a madman. Her fingers gripped the fence, she needed to help somehow but one wrong move and both of them could die. She couldn't hear anything Rick was saying but by the look on the Governor's face it wasn't what he wanted to hear. Feeling something cool on her arm she looked over to see Daryl handing her a gun. "Just in case," He mumbled as she took it.

Nodding her head she held it tight. It was the first time she held a powerful weapon but she knew what she had to do if the time came. "We need to get the bus ready," She could hear Glenn and Daryl talking but she only cared about the scene in front of her.

To her horror she saw the Governor jump off the tank and someone handed him Michonne's kantana. Holding her gun with one hand she gripped the fence again. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the Governor hold the sword to Hershel's neck. 'No, no, no please don't do this,' She thought her eyes jumping from Rick to her dad. 'This can't be real.'

Beth kept thinking this was some horrible dream. She wished she could wake up and walk into the dining area to see her father reading the Bible and greet him with a kiss on his head. Then she saw the Governor bring the sword down, slicing Hershel's neck giving her a cruel reminder this wasn't a dream and she now had to face the man who just murdered her father. Crying out she and the others lifted their guns and shot through the fence. She tried her best to keep the tears at bay but they blocked her vision making her unable to aim properly. "They're coming! Everyone take cover!" She heard before she felt herself get dragged away by someone.

Rick sat behind the bus clutching his leg, blood oozed out of his gunshot wound staining his jeans. This was the last thing he thought would happen when he woke up that morning. When he saw that sword cut Hershel's neck he saw red. Firing the first shot he wasn't sure he hit anyone but now his concern was to get back to the group. He knew they were outnumbered and they had to get away. Catching his breath he listened to the fences fall from the other side of the bus. The home he spent so much time building this place to be their home just to watch it fall in a matter of minutes. Flattening his back to the cool metal of the bus he waited for the first person to cross his path. Seeing a black leather jacket he jumped out of his hiding spot determined to end the fight as fast as possible.

Avoiding gunshots as best she could Beth followed Maggie to the waiting school bus. She could faintly hear what she was saying but with everything happening Beth found it hard to focus. "I'll be right back," Maggie yelled.

"What if you're not?!" Beth screamed but it was too late her sister was already running away.

Gripping her gun she knew what she had to do. She left Judith with Lizzie and Mika, she had to make sure they made it onto the bus first before she did anything else. Running towards the cellblocks she shot at whatever stood in her way. Hearing the shouts of the Governor's soldiers behind her she kept going, narrowly avoided getting shot. Entering the Woodbury cellblock she called the girl's names but she heard no one. It was empty. "Oh no," She mumbled looking into each cell but no sign of the blonde girls or Judith.

Running back outside she headed to where she left Maggie but the bus was gone and there was no sign of her sister. Hearing a loud explosion she ran towards it and saw Daryl shoot a guy with his crossbow. Panting she told him what she was trying to do.

"We gotta go, Beth," He told her. "We gotta go."

Reluctantly she followed him to the woods. When they felt like it was safe enough they stopped to catch their breath. Turning around she saw the home she grew to love fall, just like the farm. "I gotta go back," She panted.

"You can't, its over, we need to get movin.'" She heard Daryl say from behind her.

"You don't understand I have to find Rick...and Judith. I told Lizzie and Mika to watch her but I never found them. What if they didn't make it out?" Tears blurred her vision thinking about Judith sitting in her car seat surrounded by a bunch of walkers. And then there was Rick. When the Govornor killed Hershel she heard Rick yell and fire a few shots but after that she had no idea what happened to him. Their last conversation hadn't gone the way she wanted it to and now she worried that would be the last time she would talk to him.

Looking back at the prison she saw walkers start to cross over the fallen fences. It really was over and she had no idea where the people she loved most were. Or if they were even alive.

**I know I'm followed the show very closely with this chapter but it will be very different in the next few chapters. **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Keep Going

It had been a few days since the fall of the prison and Rick still could barely move. After his fight with the Governor he felt like hell but he forced himself to follow Carl through a deserted Georgia suburb. After finding a suitable house he helped Carl secure it before he collapsed on the couch that blocked the door. All he wanted to do was sleep but his mind was too busy thinking about everything they had lost. Then his mind drifted off to Beth, he hadn't seen her since their talk earlier that morning and he wasn't sure if she got out. There was some part of his brain that hoped she had Judith but then he worried they were wandering around in the woods somewhere, alone. They needed him and here he was laying on a couch completely useless.

Beth wasn't sure how far her and Daryl were away from the prison but there still was no sign of anyone else they knew. They had mostly kept to the woods giving them more cover in case they ran across any herds of walkers. It proved to be the best idea but she thought if they found a road then maybe they would run into someone else from the prison. She had brought the idea up to Daryl but he ignored it like he did every other time she spoke to him. At night she tried her best to sleep but she could only think about Maggie, Judith, but most of all she thought about Rick. With no way of knowing if he was ok she could only think the worst and the unknown was killing her.

On their fourth day of walking she stopped Daryl. "We need to find a road. I know you can hunt with the best of them but we need more supplies if we're gonna make it."

At first it looked like he was going to ignore her but she could tell by the look on his face she finally got through to him. "Then let's go."

Following him through the woods they didn't speak, keeping an eye out for any possible threats. After walking for what felt like hours she finally saw a two lane road. With a small smile on her face she asked. "Do you think we'll find anyone?"

"I dunno, probably not," Daryl mumbled shifting his crossbow to his other arm.

"It wouldn't kill you to have a little faith, they could have made it out." She argued walking beside him.

"Yeah, faith, look what good that's done us."

"It beats thinking the worst." She whispered as they kept moving.

When Rick woke up he saw Carl sitting on the floor next to the couch. Gathering his strength he sat up. "Did you eat something?"

"Yeah," Carl answered not looking at his father.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rick moved to sit beside him. Judging by the look on his face he knew something was wrong with Carl. "Hey," He spoke. "What's going on?"

Carl sighed. "What happened with you and Beth?"

"Oh no," Rick murmured. He knew he was going to have to have this conversation with his son but he didn't want to have it like this. "Carl its not..."

"How could you?! She's closer to my age. Were you even gonna tell me?"

"I was...then the Governor attacked." Rick explained. "How did you find out?"

"You were saying her name in your sleep."

"I'm sorry, Carl," Rick said, turning his head to look at his son. "I didn't want you to be the last to know."

"Yeah well we see how that worked out." Carl snapped rising from his seat on the floor.

Rick sighed, dropping his head. On the plus side Carl finally knew but he didn't want him to find out _that _way. Carefully he stood up on his feet to follow his son into the kitchen. "Carl, I'm sorry," He spoke but the younger boy still refused to look at him. "I didn't want you to find out like this but I want you to know just because I let another woman into my life that doesn't mean I don't remember your mom."

"Its not that!" Carl snapped. "I saw my friends with divorced parents get married again. I knew you would move on but...how could you move on with someone like Beth? She's young enough to be your daughter but you expect me to be my mom?"

"No, that's not it at all. Me and Beth both said we didn't want that." He explained. "Neither of us expected this, it just happened. You don't choose who you're attracted to."

"Do you love her like you loved mom?"

Sighing Rick looked down at the floor. "No, the love I have for her is different than the love I had for your mom. Your mom will always hold a special place in my heart but..."

"But she's dead, I know."

"She wouldn't want either of us to live in the past and not move on. That's not the way to live your life."

Carl swallowed before opening his mouth. "Does Beth make you happy?"

Nodding his head Rick answered. "She does."

"Ok." Carl muttered walking back into the living room.

Even though it wasn't how he pictured their conversation going Rick was glad it was over. Carl needed to know and now that he did they could focus on what they had to do, find everyone from the prison. Rick tried his best to think positive, he may have gotten that from Beth, but it was hard. With everything they lost one could only assume the people they grew to care about were lost too. There were certain people he was sure could make it on their own, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne but then there were people he knew couldn't make it alone. The thought of Beth out there by herself terrified him. She knew how to shoot and she had a knife but none of that can help you against a herd of walkers. Even though Rick needed to find her he knew he wouldn't make it on the road in his current condition. All he could do was sit around and recover and pray she was ok wherever she was.

After walking a few miles Beth noticed Daryl looking at her. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out. "What?" She asked.

"What?" He inquired shrugging.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Daryl shook his head. "You and Rick, how in the hell did that happen?"

Beth knew Daryl wasn't much for conversation and during their time she liked that about him. They had been through so much Beth was afraid if she started talking she would start crying. Silence worked best, she was sure they would have to speak at some point but she was shocked to hear him ask her about Rick. "H-how did you know?"

"Carol told me," He said simply. Beth noticed the sad look in his eyes when he mentioned Carol's name.

Running a hand over her arm she kept looking forward. "What else did she tell you?"

"Just that you and Rick had been sneakin' around."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah," Daryl sighed keeping his focus ahead.

Beth nodded feeling relieved they were back to not speaking. Talking about Rick made tears come to her eyes. The safety she had was gone and even though she knew Daryl was around she felt alone. As they walked all she wanted was for Rick to appear right in front of her. The hope that he was still out there was one of the only things keeping her going. 'You're gonna find him,' She thought. 'You're gonna find him and together you will find Judith and everything will be better.'

Suddenly she saw Daryl come to a stop. She was about to ask what was going on when she saw up ahead was a town. Like every other town it was abandoned and run down, windows were broken out, wrecked cars were left on the sides of the streets, and there were corpses laying on the sidewalks. Gripping her knife she followed Daryl, the town was eerily quiet which made her nervous. Staying close to Daryl she kept looking around just waiting for something to pop out but nothing did. When Daryl suddenly stopped she almost ran into him. Before she opened her mouth to ask him what was going on she saw him point to a pharmacy across the street. It was the only building with the windows still in tact so they decided it would be their best bet for shelter.

Inside the building they noticed it hadn't been too picked over. Beth motioned she was going to look around while Daryl secured the room. On the shelves she saw boxes of aspirin and other pain relievers but nothing they could eat. Making her way to the counter she remembered when her and Hershel went to their local pharmacy when she was a kid. At the cash register she always picked out a candy bar to take back home and split with her brother Shawn. She hoped this pharmacy would be the same way. Unfortunately she found nothing they could eat.

Just as she finished her search for food Daryl came back. "Nothin?'" He asked.

"No, did you see anything?"

"No, come on, we need to keep moving."

Nodding her head Beth followed Daryl out of the pharmacy. As they continued on her hope of finding Rick grew, maybe he was hiding out in one of these buildings. With each step her hope grew but the fear of finding someone besides Rick terrified her.

**So I didn't go into detail about Rick's fight with the Governor just because it would have been the same as in the show. This chapter is short but they'll get longer, I promise. Hope you all enjoy :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Groups

After another two weeks of resting Rick finally felt well enough for him and Carl to start moving. After packing enough supplies for a few days they left the house and started heading towards town. Ever since Rick told Carl about his relationship with Beth they barely talked. Now that they were going to have to rely on each other for survival on the road he knew they needed to repair things between them as father and son. "If we find a map it'll be easier to distinguish where we are and where we need to go," He spoke.

When Carl didn't answer Rick took it as his cue to keep going. "We'll start in here, come on," He commanded leading him into a small shop.

Ever since they left the first town Beth had been even more determined to find another one. Her and Daryl had been walking day in and day out with several close calls. It seemed like every day more and more walkers had banded together and tried to kill them. In that time they really had to rely on each other to keep going. They still barely talked but they had a mutual understanding, 'you help me, I help you.'

Daryl had decided it would be best for them to keep close to the road but to remain in the woods with more cover just in case they ran into anymore groups of walkers. It was tougher to keep up with him but Beth refused to complain, as long as they found Rick and the others she was ready for anything. At night they would stop and make a simple camp. Food was scarce but luckily one night Daryl had caught a rabbit and even though Beth felt like she was eating Thumper the hunger eventually took over as soon as the meat was cooked. After they ate she sat with arms holding her knees, watching the fire while Daryl kept watch. "See anything?" She inquired.

"No, don't hear anythin' either," He sighed taking a seat on a stump.

Glancing at the younger girl he wondered how she kept herself going. Before all this she saw her mother and brother gunned down when she had been told they were going to be cured. Then she had to leave her childhood home with people she barely knew but had to trust to keep her safe. Now she just witnessed her father get murdered in one of the most cruel ways he could imagine. All this time he was sure this fragile girl would crash and burn but so far she was urging _him _on. Keeping his eyes on her he spoke up. "How are you doin' this?"

"Doing what?"

"You're so sure Rick and the others are alive, how can you do that? For all we know they could be dead and we're just runnin' around waitin' to be killed."

Beth swallowed, her eyes stayed on the fire otherwise she was sure she would cry. "I guess...I guess its just thinking they're alive is better than thinking they're dead." She muttered, she knew it was a pathetic answer but it was the truth. As long as the hope the ones she loved most were still out there that was all she needed.

Daryl scoffed. "It don't matter what's better, the truth is they're dead."

"You don't know that." She snapped. "I know we don't know for sure but...but if you don't have hope, even when things look bleak, then what _do _you have?"

"A life." Daryl mumbled.

"Well what's a life worth living without those you care about? Or the hope that maybe that things are gonna get better?"

"You've got your head in the clouds, kid."

"No, I know the reality of what life like nowadays. I just know a life isn't just about surviving."

"Yeah, go ahead and think that." Daryl said standing up to resume his watch.

Beth knew her way of thinking could be taken as immature and stupid but her father always taught her to have hope. Sure, life hadn't gone the way she expected. When she lost her hope after her mom and brother were killed she was sure it wasn't worth it. She was ready to take her own life and end it all, the crying, the worrying, and the pain but Andrea's words had never left her. 'The pain doesn't go away, you just make room for it.' Maggie had been right, it was cowardly to take the easy way out and Beth knew that now. She couldn't escape the pain no matter how much she prayed and kept going but she owed to those she already lost to keep living. Now she owed it to her father, the one that told her to keep hoping, to go on and find the ones she loved.

As the days wore on Rick and Carl found themselves in a familiar place. They kept to the road eager to maybe find a car but instead they found a road sign. 'King County.' It didn't seem like home anymore but now that they walked the empty streets old memories came rushing back. "This was the street the Christmas parade was on," Carl whispered.

"Yeah, remember the last one?" Rick asked. "I had you up on my shoulders and you were so mad Santa didn't throw you a candy cane."

"He did that on purpose." Carl mumbled with a small smile on his face.

Seeing his son smile for the first time was a happy surprise for Rick. It didn't last long though because soon they stood in front of their old house. The memory of Rick coming to this very spot after he woke up in the hospital was still fresh in his mind. "Can we...?" Carl asked.

He knew what his son wanted, he wanted to see his childhood home one more time. They both knew once they left they wouldn't be coming back so reluctantly Rick agreed. "Come on," He murmured gently pushing Carl's shoulder.

The inside was just how they left it. Clothes and pictures were gone while the furniture was covered in dust. Everything looked undisturbed for the most part. It looked like no one had stepped inside since Rick had left with Morgan. Then a thought popped into his head. As if Carl was reading his mind they said at the same time. "Morgan."

"Do you think he's still around?" Carl questioned.

"Maybe, we'll go see in a little while. For right now let's just rest a minute, I think we've earned it." Rick answered.

Without a word Carl went to his old bedroom while Rick stood in the kitchen. Running his hand over the table he recalled Lori telling him when they first moved in they were to have family dinners every night. He had tried his best to live up to that but he had missed plenty with overtime at the station. Stepping into the living room he thought back to their first Christmas with Carl. Lori had gone above and beyond to make sure the entire house was decorated, at the time Rick didn't understand it because he knew Carl wouldn't remember it. "Yeah well it'll be a tradition and then eventually he will remember it and pass it on to his kids." She had told him.

Blinking back tears he went into their bedroom. So many nights of him working too late and coming home to her already asleep. When they first got married they had to be touching each other when they were to sleep then they got to a point where they were on opposite sides of the bed. Sitting at the foot of the bed Rick took a look around the room. A few knick knacks were still on the shelves but overall everything they had was gone. It wasn't the same room he loved coming back to just like this wasn't the house he had spent so much time on making a home for him and his family. He had moved on a long time ago. Well he still wore one reminder.

Looking down at his left hand he stared at the silver band he still wore. After all this time he still couldn't bring himself to take it off. He wasn't sure why but before it seemed wrong to take it off, it was a symbol of his love for Lori. When he told Carl he would always love his mom he meant it but that love he had for her wasn't what it was anymore. Gently he took the ring off his finger and held it in his palm. It wasn't a monumental moment, he didn't feel anything, neither guilt or happiness not wearing it anymore. He knew it was time. Placing it on the dresser he and Lori used to share he stood up from the bed. Without looking back he went to find Carl.

Down the hall he found his son sitting on his bed, his hat placed beside him. "Didn't mom, you and Shane paint this room together?"

"Yeah, she was supposed to help but she decided she would be best at supervising us." He chuckled slightly.

Looking down at the rug Carl bit his bottom lip. "I miss them."

Seeing his shaking shoulders Rick quickly sat down beside the boy. Honestly Rick had expected Carl to break down a long time ago but he had held it in this whole time. Being in their family home must have brought all those emotions out of him. Carefully he wrapped an arm around Carl's shoulder pulling him close to him. "I know, I do too," He whispered pressing his lips to his hair.

It was the truth, Rick did miss his wife and his best friend but he missed what they once were not what they had become. He and Lori had grown so apart before her death it was a constant worry they would never get back to the place they once were. Then his friendship with Shane ended a long time ago, he figured it started to crack when Rick took leadership of their first camp and gradually fell apart as time went on. Both relationships meant a lot to him but even if both people lived he knew they would have never been the same. For a long time Rick blamed himself but he didn't feel that guilt anymore, maybe it was because of what Beth told him, but now he knew he had to move on.

Gently patting Carl's back he stood up from the bed. "Come on, we need to get moving." He spoke. "You ok?"

Nodding his head Carl wiped his face off. "Yeah."

Before Carl could walk off Rick called his name. "You don't have to be tough all the time, ok?"

Carl placed his hat back on his head. "Ok." He mumbled before walking back to the front of the house.

As they stepped back outside they both realized they felt better. A weight had been lifted off of them and now they were ready to search for the group. "Are we gonna go look for Morgan?" Carl asked.

Nodding Rick sighed. "We both need the ammo and supplies. If we can I'm gonna convince Morgan to go with us. I know its a long shot but his skills would help us out on the road."

"Even though he's crazy?"

"Crazy might do us some good when it comes to walkers and any other Governors that might be out there."

When they spotted the walker traps they stepped cautiously closer to the building they knew Morgan lived. A few walkers were stuck in the traps as Rick and Carl walked down the sidewalk. Hearing a loud crash Rick motioned for Carl to stay behind him. "Morgan?" Rick called. "Morgan its Rick Grimes! Are you there?"

Gripping his gun Rick waited for something to happen. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Carl step forward with his pistol raised. Finally Rick noticed a head peak out from one of the buildings. "Morgan," He repeated.

"Rick?" Morgan questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"We need some help," Rick answered.

When Morgan didn't answer Rick grew anxious. "Be ready to run," He told Carl just in case.

Just as they were about to give up and turn around Rick saw Morgan walking towards them with a rifle on his back. "You look like hell, what happened?" Morgan asked as he got closer.

Rick sighed. "Our old home was attacked, our group got separated. We had to leave without grabbing any food or ammunition." He explained. "Can you help us?"

Judging by the look on his face Rick knew Morgan was apprehensive to help them. "I promise, once we have what we need we'll leave and we'll never bother you again."

Running a hand over his head Morgan eventually nodded. "All right, come on." He muttered gesturing for them to follow him.

The wind blew leaves around Beth making her shiver. She had found a thin sweater at her and Daryl's last stop but still no sign of anyone from their group. They hadn't had a proper meal in weeks and they were getting desperate to find food and somewhere to rest. Beth knew how skinny she was beforehand, now her clothes looked baggier on her to the point she was getting worried. "Do you think we're getting close to a town?"

Daryl didn't answer instead he pointed up ahead. Beth was overjoyed to see a small town not too far away. Picking up the pace they kept going. There weren't many walkers as far as they could tell, they saw a few corpses laying on the road and sidewalks as they walked the streets. Bending down Daryl dipped his hand into the blood. "They were killed not too long ago," He spoke wiping his hand on his pants. "Still wet."

"Maybe someone else is here," Beth whispered, she tried to hide her excitement at the prospect someone from the prison being there.

"Lets find something to eat first then we'll take a better look around."

Nodding Beth followed him as they went from place to place. They were about to give up when they found the remains of a small grocery store. Beth could have cried when she found a jar of peanut butter. Sitting in one of the aisles she ate in silence as Daryl ate some jelly beside her. After she calmed her hunger she turned to him. "Do you think we'll find anyone?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, there's no telling who we'll find."

"I know," She muttered. "But it could be Maggie or Glenn..."

"Or Rick?" He asked glancing at her.

"Yeah," She whispered.

As they fell into silence Beth finished her food before standing up. "We should try to find a bag so we can take some of this with us."

"Then let's take a look around." Daryl sighed grabbing his crossbow.

Taking out her knife Beth followed Daryl as they checked each aisle. They found more food they would be able to take with them but nothing to carry it with. "Ok the store seems clear so here's what we do." Daryl spoke. "I'm gonna go take a look around town and find some bags. You stay here and gather what you can. I won't be gone long."

"Ok," She agreed.

Sitting in Morgan's apartment gave Rick the same creepy feeling as last time they visited him. "So what happened at your prison?"

"We were attacked and outnumbered. We had to leave in a hurry and we don't know where the rest of our group is." Rick explained.

"How long ago was this?"

"Maybe over a month ago." Rick answered.

Morgan nodded. "Well get what you need. I know you gotta find your people. I hope you do but you know you might not?"

Rick sighed. "That's a chance we gotta take."

"I understand, I would do the same thing if it was my family." Morgan mumbled picking up a bag and handing it to Carl. "Go ahead look around."

As Carl started picking up some ammo and putting it in a bag Rick decided to talk to Morgan one on one. "Morgan, remember last time when I asked you if you wanted to come to the prison with us?" When Morgan nodded he continued. "I was wondering if you wanted to go on the road with us. We sure could use your help and skill."

"I don't know, man." Morgan muttered.

"Morgan, I'm begging you. Its just me and Carl right now and having someone else around will definitely help us out there."

Rick could see the other man thinking about his words. After taking a deep breath he answered. "Let me sleep on it. I'll think about it tonight while you two get some rest and I'll give you my answer in the morning."

Nodding once Rick stepped into the other room to give Morgan some privacy and to check on Carl. He found his son sitting on the floor snacking on some crackers. Taking a seat beside him he sighed. "He's gonna think about it." He told him.

Leaning against the wall Rick felt like he was about to fall asleep when he felt his son nudging him. "Here, they're not too stale." Carl whispered handing him some crackers.

"Thanks," Rick sighed taking a bite out of one of them.

In the front of the grocery store Beth had gathered enough food for both her and Daryl to carry for a few days until they found another town. When she finished searching she sat in the corner away from any windows and waited for Daryl to return. Holding her knife close by she remained in silence until she heard the door open. Rising up on her knees she peaked around the wall and covered her mouth to keep any noise from escaping. The man that stepped through the door wasn't Daryl and he wasn't alone. Instead it was an older man with silver hair and a matching mustache along with other rough looking men. All of them had guns and they looked like they had been on the road for a long time. "Hey Joe, look at all this," One of the men spoke.

"Huh," The man Joe said. "Looks like someone's been here, boys. Fan out, they couldn't have gotten far."

Once the men spread out Beth shuffled against the wall as quietly as she could. She had found a storage room close by and if she moved quickly maybe she could hide in there before any of the men spotted her. She almost made it to the closet when she heard the door open again. 'Oh no, Daryl.' She thought.

As she stepped to her original spot she saw Daryl holding his crossbow up to the leader while the others stood in a circle around him with their guns pointed at his head. Gripping her knife tighter she tried to think of a plan. If she attacked one the others would either kill her or Daryl or both but she couldn't just stand here and wait. Just as she was about to step out of hiding she heard the leader speak up. "The name's Joe."

It took Daryl a minute but then he finally dropped his crossbow. "Daryl."

"You alone?" A man asked.

"No...Beth, you around here?" Daryl called out.

Very hesitantly Beth stepped out of her hiding spot. She didn't trust these men and with the way they were looking her up and down she was right to think so. Keeping a firm grip on her knife she made her way over to Daryl. One of the men opened his mouth to say something when Joe raised his hand up. "Nice to meet you two. I see the little lady was kind enough to find us some food. Boys load it up and let's get going." Joe commanded.

Beth watched as the men grabbed what they wanted and packed everything she had found away. Daryl held up an old backpack to her. "Its all I could find."

Nodding her head she picked up what was left. When everything was gone Joe stood in front of her and Daryl. "Its simple really, we claim what we want and then there's no issue. Think you two can handle that?"

"Yeah," She muttered while Daryl stayed silent.

"All right, then lets get out of here. We need to find somewhere secure to stay for the night." He told the group before walking out.

As Beth followed the group she wondered if they could trust them. She knew more people meant more security and food but she didn't like the way the men were staring at her. Keeping close to Daryl she knew she had to talk to him where no one else could hear but she was going to have to wait until they were away from Joe and his followers.


	17. Chapter 17

** Oh my God I never expected this story to be so well received but 43 follows, 20 favorites, and 36 reviews, all this makes me so happy. I'm so glad people enjoy it and if you take the time to review or favorite it or anything thank you so much :)**

** I feel like I have to say this every couple of chapters but I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. And by the way this hiatus is killing me.**

Chapter 17: Memories

Beth made sure to stay close to Daryl the whole time they were with the strange men. They kept glancing at her out of the corner of their eye and it was creeping her out. By the looks of these guys they had it rough ever since the turn. As they walked she heard a few of them tell Daryl how they met. They never spoke about any wives, or kids, or any other form of family. Joe ran the show, she knew that, and a few of them had been friends with him so he brought them together once the world fell apart. Then as time went on their group began to grow into what it is now but they were so alike it just worked. Beth could tell Joe knew how to talk to people, she could picture him as a con artist before all this.

Daryl had stayed silent throughout their journey, he nodded at times and acted like he was listening but Beth had been around him enough to know the wheels were turning in his head. She knew he didn't trust these guys, it took some time to gain Daryl Dixon's trust, and these guys probably knew that as well. They were trying to include him as best as they could but he wouldn't budge. It was like they were trying to get him on their side, be one of them. Beth knew Daryl had a difficult life before but that all changed when he met Rick and became a part of his group and these men weren't going to make the old Daryl return. She would make sure of it.

They walked until it was almost sunset before Joe told them they were going to camp out in the woods. As they settled into a spot she heard rushing water close by. "Daryl, we should go get some water." She told him pulling some water bottles out of her bag.

Nodding once they were about to walk off when one of the men shouted. "Where do you two think you're going?"

"Get some water," Beth said holding the bottles up.

She noticed one man, Len she believed she heard someone say, pull out his canteen. "Here, get me some too will ya, sweetheart?" He asked holding the canteen out to her.

Taking it from her hands she saw him wink making her almost roll her eyes. When they were safe enough away from camp she whispered. "How long are we gonna stay with them?"

"Long enough for us to either get a lead on where our people are or until we find a safe enough place to make camp."

"I'm not staying anywhere without Rick." She blurted, the words just slipped out but both of them knew she meant them. "And have you seen those guys? The inmates at the prison looked friendlier."

"Look I'm gonna try to find your boyfriend but for right now those guys are our best shot. Its suicide for only the two of us on the road." He snapped. "We've been lucky so far but eventually our luck's gonna run out."

Beth sighed. "I know its risky but right now I'm willing to take my chances. I don't want to stay around them for long."

"We won't," He mumbled as they reached the river. "You fill those up, I'll stand watch."

Nodding her head Beth bent down to fill up the bottles, thoughts of where Rick could be filled her head. All she wanted to know was if he was safe or not, if he was out there alone. If it was risky her and Daryl out there she knew how dangerous it would be if he was by himself. The thought alone made her want to cry and keep moving til her feet couldn't carry her anymore. Then there was Judith and Carl, they were just kids, how on earth could they survive out there? Wiping her face just in case any stray tears fell she finished up with the bottles. "Lets head back." She muttered not looking in Daryl's direction.

In silence they went back to camp where the other men were waiting. A few of them said they were going hunting but Beth could barely hear them. Sitting down she tuned everything out and just sat alone in her thoughts. Putting her head on her knees she prayed. 'Dear God, its me again, I'm sorry but I need your help again. Rick is out there, so is Carl and Judith. I just need some help finding them.' She could feel tears stinging her eyes but she tried her best to keep them at bay. 'I understand if its too much to ask but if you could please do this I wouldn't be able to thank you enough. Judith is just a baby, Carl's a kid he deserves more time on this earth no matter how bad it is right now. And Rick...Rick's been through so much, I just want to help him. Please, just help me find them. Daddy if you're up there I could really use some of that fatherly guidance you always gave me.' Sighing she closed her eyes, a few tears leaked out. 'I hope you found mom and Shawn up there and you're all watching over us. I love you so much and miss you every day. Amen.'

At this point Beth couldn't help but cry but she made no sound. She had kept silent, biting her bottom lip to prevent any noises from escaping. At times like this she missed being at the prison and being able to go to another cell and talk to her sister or her dad. Then Rick was always close by for her to see. She remembered one night when he visited her in her cell. It was just one of those nights, Judith was already asleep in her crib. Maggie was on watch duty with Glenn and she didn't want to disturb Hershel. She tried her best to be strong but it felt like everything was just crashing on her all at once. In the loneliness of her cell she allowed herself to cry. She sat on her bunk with her knees to her chest just weeping when she heard footsteps approaching her cell. Wiping her eyes she knew it was Rick and the last thing she wanted was for him to see her as a weak little girl. "Beth?" He whispered peaking into the small room.

"Y-yeah?" She murmured, her voice betraying her.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice so gentle she just wanted to run into his arms and stay there for the rest of the night.

"Nothing, I'm fine," She tried her best to smile but she could tell he wasn't buying it.

"Why are you crying?" He questioned, gently reaching up to wipe the tears away with his thumb.

Leaning into his touch she sighed. "I just get sad sometimes," She told him then cringed at how bad her answer was. "I'm sorry...I know I sound like a baby right now."

"No, no, its ok. Come here," He said opening his arms letting her fall into him. She could tell he still felt a little awkward when it came to physical contact but he knew she needed him in that moment. Laying on his chest she breathed his scent as he rubbed circles on her back. "Its not good to hold it in, if you ever need to cry just let it happen."

"I just don't want you to see me as a cry baby."

"I could never think that, hell if you never cried I would be more concerned." He sighed. "Just know I'm here if you need me."

"I'll remember that," Finally she smiled the genuine smile that made Rick's day a little better.

"Good, now you get some rest, I'll stay here until you fall asleep."

Feeling content in his embrace Beth found it easy to drift off to sleep. She was vaguely aware when he shifted enough to let her completely lie down on her bunk. When she felt a light kiss on her forehead she drifted off to one of the most peaceful sleep she had experienced in months. 'Its ok, Beth,' She thought to herself. 'You'll find him and have that again. Or you'll die trying.'

In Morgan's apartment Rick couldn't help but stay awake and keep watch. Carl slept beside him, snoring softly while Morgan was on a cot close by. Sitting by the window Rick looked out into the darkness, endless worries kept his mind busy. He needed to find Beth and the others but he had no idea where to even start. They could be on the road for months without even a hint as to where she was. Then a dark thought was always there, what if she wasn't even alive and he was just out there chasing a ghost? Leaning his head on the wall he knew he needed to think rationally before they left the next day. If Beth was gone he needed to move on and find a safe place for him and Carl to live but what if she was alive? What if she was out there and needed his help? There were too many questions without any answers and it was driving him crazy.

The next morning Rick stood on the roof of the building overlooking the area around them. He and Carl had been all around King county the previous day with no signs of anyone else passing through. They were going to have to travel on foot to the next town and he wasn't sure if Morgan would be up for that. "Rick," He heard from behind him.

Turning around he saw Morgan walking towards him. Without waiting Rick asked. "So...do you know what you want to do?"

"Maybe but you have to answer me this, why are you so eager to find your group? They could be dead for all you know and you're willing to risk your's and your boy's life for them? Why?"

Rick didn't want to talk about Beth, mentioning any form of female may bring back horrible memories of Morgan's wife, Jenny. "Its simple really," Rick started. "I know they would do the same for me and Carl. We were a family back at the prison and family is something hard to find these days."

"Lord I know." Morgan sighed. "I lost mine...you're lucky you still have your boy."

"I know, but Morgan listen to me, if you stay here you will live the same life day in and day out. If you go with us you could gain so much more. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Rick could see him thinking about his words. He didn't want to push his luck by saying anything else but he hoped he had gotten through to the man. Sighing again Morgan met his eyes. "All right...I'll go but if at any point I want to leave you can't stop me."

"If that's what you want." Rick agreed.

"All right, well let's get going, we're burning daylight."

Downstairs Carl was finishing up loading his gun when he saw his dad coming towards him. "Morgan is coming with us."

Nodding his head Carl picked up his backpack. "So where are we gonna go?"

"I don't know," He spoke running a hand over his face. "I don't even know where to start."

"Maybe I can help," Morgan interrupted pulling out a map and laying it on the table. "Where was your prison?"

After scanning the map Rick pointed to where they used to live. "Right in here, we ended up there after a herd cut us off here." He explained. "It was just north of us."

"Well then that herd was heading south so if I was guessing your group had to avoid them somehow. If they went north they would run right into them."

"And everyone knew where the herds were coming from so they would never go in that direction." Rick argued.

"Exactly so your group headed south from the prison. If we're here," Morgan pointed out. "then maybe your group is spread out throughout this whole area."

"That's a lot of places for them to be." Carl interjected.

"Then we better start moving." Rick said rolling the map back up. "We keep to the woods, there's more cover for walkers but we need to stay as close to the roads as we can for when we run out of supplies."

Morgan nodded. "Come on, we're wasting time."

The good thing about Joe's group, they knew how to hunt. After being gone for a few hours they came back with rabbit, squirrel, and a snake. Beth picked the meat off a squirrel but she wasn't hungry. After calming herself down she just felt exhausted and kept to herself most of the night. She noticed Daryl wasn't really talking to anyone either. The other men were distracted by their food to notice but she saw Joe watching them. Out of everyone he seemed to scare Beth the most, he was the leader he decided what they did every day and no one seemed to question him. She wondered if anyone ever questioned his leadership or if they were too afraid to.

Even though all she wanted to do was sleep she was aware of how dangerous it was to sleep around these guys. Daryl would probably stay awake but if they tried anything he could be easily overpowered by the men, they had guns and other weapons. She knew Daryl was tough but a bullet didn't care how tough someone was.

"All right boys, its time to turn in for the night," Joe spoke wiping his hands on his jeans. "Dan over here has the first watch."

Beth watched the man nod his head before standing up to go lean on a tree with his rifle strap over his shoulder. Zipping up her sweater she laid on her side with her back facing the other men. Daryl sat up next to her with his crossbow right at his side. Knowing he was there was comforting but she still wished it was Rick. She was grateful for Daryl and everything he had done to protect her ever since they left the prison, he just wasn't the man she loved. Turning over on her back she looked up at the sky, trying her best to drown out the other men's snores she stared at the stars. She wished she was back at the prison, in her small bunk with Judith sleeping nearby and Rick just down the walkway. 'Don't go there, Beth, everything will be fine. You're going to find him.' She thought blinking away tears. 'You're not gonna give up.'

After making a few rounds around camp Rick finally came back to stand around the small fire they had built. Morgan and Carl were asleep while he volunteered to keep watch. He couldn't sit still even if he tried. They had walked all day with no signs of anyone from their group. By the time they settled in for the night he could tell they wouldn't want to keep doing this every day. They would need a lead and soon or else they would give up the search entirely.

Leaning against a tree Rick thought back to happier times at the prison. When things actually starting going their way, they had food growing, walkers were under control, and for once he felt like they weren't just surviving day by day. They were actually building a life they could live for many years. It was still hard but it was better than being on the run. He felt like a new man than when they first found the prison.

For a while there he tuned everyone out, didn't listen to anyone, and was just in a blind rage all the time. He never wanted to admit it but it was hard looking at Judith sometimes, he knew Lori died so their daughter could live. Then he was terrified, how were they going to raise a baby in this world? They had enough to worry about now they had to get everything a baby would need when they barely could find enough supplies for the rest of the group. After a particular bad day around the prison, walkers had managed to get into the tombs, Carl had ignored him when he said stay in cellblock C, and to top it all off Hershel had told him they were beginning to run out baby formula and diapers. He had been running on little sleep and stress was eating him alive, he felt like he would never get a break. When he walked into the cellblock he decided to go check on Judith when he heard soft singing. 'Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby. Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue. And the dreams that you dream of really do come true.'

Beth was singing to Judith, cradling in her in her arms, gently rocking her. Leaning against the cell door he just listened, he never said it out loud but Beth's voice calmed him somehow. It was soft and melodic, perfect for lullabies. Judith seemed to think so too because she was sleeping peacefully in Beth's arms before she even finished the song. When Beth looked back up seeing Rick watching her made her jump in surprise. "Oh hi," She muttered, a faint blush on her face.

"Hey," He coughed, regaining his senses. "I just came to uh, check on Judith. Your dad said she was running low on formula."

"Yeah, she was a little fussy earlier." She explained. "I figured try to get her to sleep while someone went out to get her food. My mama said that song always calmed me down when I was a baby."

"Well it seemed to work for her too," He smiled gently brushing his hands over Judith's hair. "I'll get a group up to go get formula."

"Ok," She muttered looking up to meet his eyes.

Nodding his head he turned to leave but he'll never forget how easily his anger and frustration left him hearing Beth sing. At the time he didn't feel any attraction to her but he couldn't deny being around her stirred something up in him. It wasn't long after that his feelings for her grew and now he couldn't deny he loved her and he needed her back.

**So I wanted to keep things a little cute and fluffy in this chapter, hope you don't mind. Also I hope I didn't offend anyone that likes Bethyl, I like Bethyl in the show but this is a Rick/Beth story. Review if you like it or if you have any suggestions on how I could improve :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Chances

Throughout the night Beth tried her best to stay awake. She had nodded off a few times but quickly snapped herself awake. As the skies turned from black to grey she began thinking about how they were going to be on the move soon. The men snores had kept her up most of the night but her restless mind was another reason.

She knew she was looking for Rick but what if he was out somewhere looking for her? If Rick was searching for her he needed some kind of sign as to where she could be but what could she do? She didn't want to do anything suspicious, she didn't want Joe and his men to know she was looking for Rick. After thinking it over in her head all morning she finally thought of something. The previous day Daryl had broken one of his arrows and left it close to camp. Knowing where he had tossed it she carefully stood up and crept to its spot. There was just enough light for her to find the arrow. Once she had it in her hands she took her necklace off. It was one of the only mementos she had from her mom, she hadn't taken it off ever since it was given to her.

Thinking back she remembered when the chain broke at the prison. She was afraid she was gonna have to throw the necklace away when Maggie came up with a simply solution. "I found this string on a run, its durable enough so it won't tear and you can make it long enough to wear it under your shirt."

"Thank you," She smiled pulling one side of the string through one of the silver hearts. After securing it around her neck she gave her sister a big hug.

Holding the necklace in her hand she sighed. This was her only hope for Rick finding her and she prayed it work. Stabbing the end of the arrow in the tree she made sure it wasn't going to fall before hanging her necklace on it. Sighing to herself she headed back to camp where she saw everyone else was starting to wake up. "Where have you been?" Joe asked.

"Bathroom." She lied.

"Don't go off like that, I would hate for something to happen to that pretty face." He smirked making the hair on the back of Beth's neck stand up.

Not saying another word she went over to Daryl who was standing off to the side. Crossing her arms she watched the others pack up their stuff before they started walking. Her and Daryl took up the back of the group while they walked in silence. It was definitely getting cooler, fog was affecting their visibility but Joe said they were to keep going. When Beth heard the first few moans her first instinct was to grab her knife. They stood in a circle, all of them had weapons drawn as the moans got louder. The first walker to come through the fog made her jump in surprise. Just as she was about to stab it an arrow flew past her right into its head. Turning her head she saw Daryl standing close by with his crossbow raised. Nodding as a thank you she turned back around to see more walkers come towards them.

She was sure the others could handle the zombies in hand to hand combat but when she heard a gunshot her panic started to show. The sound attracted them and with little visibility there's no telling how many were going to attack. "Take care of them, boys." Joe spoke, no fear in his voice.

Beth was pulled back to the middle of the group while the others began taking each walker down. One man used the butt of his gun to crush one of their skulls making the ground red with its blood. Daryl shot another and used his knife to take care of one that snuck up behind Joe. Everything happened so fast, these guys knew how to kill and how to do it quick. Beth jumped in surprise seeing a walker head roll up to her feet. Gulping she stabbed her knife through its forehead. Then it was silent, there were no more moans or oncoming footsteps. They stood in their same spots as if they were waiting for another attack. When it didn't come they put their weapons away. "All right, lets keep going," Joe said nonchalantly, like nothing had happened.

Stepping over the walker head Beth followed the group. Of course she had seen people take down walkers before, she had just never seen anyone do it with a smile on their face. Joe seemed almost pleased to kill them and the others had the same look on their faces. These things used to be people, she knew they weren't anymore but it was still hard sometimes to just kill them and walk away. They didn't have names, no identities, they were just walkers. Creatures of the undead that were wandering the earth to kill the living.

Early that morning Rick was going over the map again while Morgan and Carl ate breakfast. "What is it dad?" Carl asked.

"I'm just wondering where we should go next." He muttered scratching his beard. "We made good time yesterday. If we keep a decent pace we could make it to Macon, its a big town we can gather any supplies we might need. Maybe find a car."

"Maybe someone we know is there." Carl said, his voice almost hopeful.

"That's what we're gonna find out." Rick sighed rolling the map back up. "We're gonna have to find our out of these woods to make it to a highway."

"Then let's get moving." Morgan nodded wiping his mouth and collecting his stuff.

The lack of sleep was clear as Beth tried her best to keep her eyes open and her feet moving. She felt like she looked like a walker as they kept going. Every once and a while she noticed the men pass around a flask. When Len tried to hand it to her she shook her head, even though she wanted to numb herself she needed a clear mind. She noticed Daryl take a sip before handing it back to Joe. "Where are we going?" She questioned the older man as he took a big swig of whatever was in the flask.

"Macon, we were there a few weeks ago, not too many corpses. Plus there's plenty of stores for us to get what we need and move on."

When she heard where they were going Beth couldn't help but get excited. Not only would they find food and shelter but she would be able to find warmer clothes with the weather gradually getting colder she was close to freezing to death at night. She was also excited for other reasons. Back at the prison she heard whispers of Michonne going to Macon, maybe they would find her and they could leave Joe and his group. There were so many possibilities of this town Beth just couldn't wait to find out what awaited them.

Morgan had been quite useful as they made their way through the woods. While he was alone he learned every survival skill known to man. Through time he had learned how to track, his skills weren't at a Dixon level but he was definitely helpful to Rick and Carl. When he suddenly stopped Rick immediately asked. "What is it?"

"A group's been through here." Morgan explained crouching down, running his hand over the footprints. "See here? Most likely a man considering how big the print is."

"How do you know its not a walker?" Carl inquired.

"Because walker tracks aren't like this, they usually drag the dirt with their feet, they don't move like me and you."

"Can you tell how many there are?"

Gently pushing the leaves aside he observed the many tracks. "From what I can see maybe six? Seven at the most." He sighed running a hand over his head. "It looks like they were heading this way."

"Then that's where we're going." Rick stated already walking in the same direction with Morgan following close behind.

"Dad wait," Carl called.

Turning around Rick faced his son. "What is it?"

"Why are we following them? I thought you said we shouldn't trust anyone."

"We're not trusting them, but right now we don't know where any of our people are. We don't have any leads and maybe finding this group could help us find the others. Its a chance we have to take."

Frowning Carl followed suit. He wasn't sure following a group of strangers was the best idea when they should be looking for proper shelter. Just like his father he wanted to find everyone from their camp but what are the chances of them finding anyone? "What if they're bad people?"

"Then we'll handle them like we handle everything else." Rick spoke.

Keeping up a brisk pace they kept going trying their best to not stop. They hadn't encountered any walkers making their journey easier. Morgan kept his eyes open for new tracks whenever he found them he made sure to tell Rick they were going the right way. It was late in the afternoon when they noticed the remains of what looked like a camp. "This was their camp." Morgan mumbled taking a look around. There were leftover food wrappers and cans thrown on the ground.

"By the looks of it they were here last night." Rick observed picking up a water bottle seeing just a few drops still inside it.

"They went this way." Morgan pointed up ahead.

Without a word Rick started walking in the direction Morgan had said. He was sure they were finally on the right path. Then he noticed the sun hitting something against a tree. Holding up his hand he waited for Morgan and Carl to stop before he headed towards the tree. Keeping a sharp eye out for any threat he finally stopped at the tree. Hanging from an arrow was a necklace but he recognized this one. "This is Beth's."

"Who?" Morgan asked.

"A girl from our camp." Rick answered before Carl got the chance to. "And this is Daryl's arrow."

"So Beth is with Daryl?" Carl thought out loud.

"I guess so and it looks like they could be with that group." He sighed placing the necklace in his pocket. "Let's keep moving."

Seeing the town up ahead Beth wanted to run in front of everyone else to the first store she saw. By now her worn in jeans and sweater weren't helping to keep her warm and her boots were falling apart. She was still a teenage girl and still loved shopping at heart. After making sure the coast was clear they found a few shops. "Ok a few of you keep watch. You hear anything whistle for us." Joe instructed. "Daryl, Beth, Len, come on let's go shopping."

Once inside the store Beth searched the racks. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Len watching her. Keeping her attention on the clothes in front of her she kept searching until she found a thick black sweater and a pair of jeans. "Those will look nice on you." She heard Len whisper.

Ignoring him she went into the dressing rooms. Locking the door behind her she stripped off her old clothing before putting the new ones on. Pulling her hair up into a high ponytail she went back to the shelves to try and find a new pair of boots. Through the store windows she saw the sun slowly starting to set behind the trees. Another day gone without any sign of Rick or the others. Frowning she went to find Daryl. "Find anything?" She murmured.

"Nah, I wouldn't be caught dead in this shit." He told her.

"Well I see you found the good stuff." Joe laughed.

Nodding she looked down at her feet. "Even at the end of the world girls love to shop." The man chuckled. "Come on, let's see what the others got into."

When Rick saw the sign for Macon he couldn't help but be relieved. They had been tracking this group to the road and he was hopeful they were heading to the same place. The thought of seeing Beth again kept him going. He just hoped this new group weren't like the Governor and she was ok. Knowing Daryl was with her gave him some comfort but he wouldn't be able to sleep easily until she was next to him again. "Looks like we're gonna make it before sundown." Morgan spoke up interrupting Rick's thoughts.

"Do you think they're already there?" Carl asked.

"Could be, we won't know until we're there." Rick answered.

Once they were in town they tried to be as stealthy as possible. They couldn't take any chances and with nightfall close they knew anyone would look like a threat in the dark. Keeping his gun drawn he gestured for Morgan and Carl to do the same as they went from hiding spot to hiding spot. Even though there was little moonlight they were able to move without drawing any attention. Then Rick noticed someone standing in front of a store. Bending down behind a parked car he peaked through the windows. The man looked to be in his thirties, with a rifle on his shoulder. "If he's standing outside then everyone else must be in that store." Rick whispered.

"How are we gonna get in?" Carl questioned.

"Lets see if there's a back entrance." Rick told them as they made their way down the back alleys.

Using a few soft shirts as pillows Beth made herself a bed a few feet away from the other men. Sleeping on the cold floor of the store was better than the woods but it felt colder inside than it did outside. Curling up into a ball she listened to the snores and grunts from the men. She couldn't tell where Daryl was but after they ate dinner he decided to take a walk around to secure the building.

After shivering to the point she could barely lay still Beth decided to go find something she could use as a blanket. Digging in her bag she found her small flashlight and carefully stood up to head back to the clothing department. On the floor she found a few items she could probably use but they were all too thin for her liking. "What are you doing?" She heard a gruff voice ask.

Jumping to her feet she saw Daryl standing above her. "I was looking for a blanket." She whispered. "Did you see anything?"

"No, but I can't sleep so I'm gonna keep watch inside." He sighed. "There's a few men's jackets over there, find your blanket and get some sleep."

"Ok," She nodded going off to the direction he pointed out.

When Rick, Morgan, and Carl finally made it to the back of the store they were relieved to see an exit door. As quietly as he could Rick opened the door. "Ok I'm going in, if anything goes wrong you two get the hell out of here." He told the others.

Morgan sighed, digging in his pack for the flashlight. "Watch your ass in there."

Taking the flashlight Rick nodded his head. Looking down at Carl he placed his hand on his shoulder. "I won't be gone long."

"Be careful." Carl whispered.

"I will." He muttered, using the flashlight he took a look around inside before stepping inside.

Daryl had just left Beth when he saw a light from the back of the store. Holding his crossbow up he decided to check it out before telling Joe. He didn't hear anything as he got closer to the light, carefully he stepped into the room when a light shined right in his face. "Daryl?"

Lowering his crossbow he recognized that voice. "Rick?"

Seeing Daryl step into the room felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. His gun falling at his side he sighed in relief. "Thank God," He muttered. "Carl's outside, who are you with?"

"This group me and Beth..."

Swallowing hard Rick felt his heart speed up. "She's here?"

"Yeah," He nodded. Judging by the look on his friend's face he knew he would want to see Beth but Daryl didn't want Joe to find him first. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

Beth was almost asleep when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. Opening her eyes she saw Daryl kneeling beside her. "Come on."

"What is it?" She yawned.

"Trust me, you'll want to see this for yourself."

Slightly irritated he woke her up Beth pushed herself up off the floor. Pushing the hair out of her face she followed Daryl to the back of the store. At first she didn't see what he was talking about but then she heard a voice say. "Beth."

Her eyes widened and Beth swore her heart stopping beating. Ever since she left the prison she had heard that voice and when she turned around nothing was there. Now he was standing right in front of her. With tears blurring her vision she threw herself into his arms. 'This isn't real, I'm dreaming,' She thought, her hands clutching at his shirt.

Having Beth back in his arms Rick felt better than he had in months. One of his hands held her to him while the other gripped the back of her head. He could feel her shaking against him as they stood there. "Its ok, I'm here. No one is taking you away again." He told her like no one else was in the room.

"Now isn't that sweet." A sinister voice said breaking the couple apart.


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning: This chapter could contain strong hints of sexual assault and violence. If you don't wish to read that part I understand. **

Chapter 19: Darkness

When Rick heard that voice he immediately went into protective mode. Pulling Beth behind him his eyes landed on the man watching them. "Who are you?" He asked raising his gun.

Joe chuckled. "I'm Joe, and those two are with me." He said, pointing to Daryl and Beth.

Daryl glanced in-between the two men. "Joe, its ok, he's fine."

"I don't know about that, considering he's got a gun pointed at my head." He replied. "How about you just put your gun down and we just have a little chat?"

Hesitantly Rick put his gun on the floor in front of him. Right now he needed to be as calm as possible, he had a bad feeling but right now getting Beth and Daryl away from this man was his main objective. Standing up he spoke again. "I don't want no trouble. I came here to find Beth and Daryl. If you just let us leave..."

"You didn't hear me did you?" Joe snarled. "They're with me."

Daryl glared at the older man. "We don't belong to anyone."

To their surprise Joe smiled. "You know what Daryl, you're right." He smirked. "Now blondie on the other hand."

Before Beth could move or speak up she felt herself get pulled from behind. Letting out a squeal in surprise she fought against a man's grip but it was no use. Looking up she saw it was Len holding onto her. He held her by her arms, his grip so tight she knew she would have bruises on her upper arms. The other men made an appearance as well, they stood in a circle around them with their weapons already drawn and pointed at Rick and Daryl. "Make sure she doesn't got anything on her." Joe told one of the men.

In disgust she felt their hands wander her body to where she kept her pistol and knife. Tossing them to the ground he nodded to Joe who just appeared to be amused by the scene in front of him. "What the hell is goin' on?" Daryl snapped, his grip on his crossbow tightening.

"You don't remember the claimed rule do you, Daryl?" Joe questioned. "Well you two didn't know it but when we saw the girl, Len over here claimed her."

Beth shivered feeling Len's gaze on her. When she struggled again she felt the cool metal of a gun placed on her head. "I wouldn't try that now, sweetheart." He hissed in her ear.

"You can't do that." Daryl barked.

Joe shrugged. "Well he did, and because I'm a generous man, I decided the others can have her as well. Call her our little play thing in these harsh times."

By now Beth wanted to throw up. Not only was Len pretty much groping her but Joe was going to let the other men have her as well. "You son of a..." Daryl growled.

"I wouldn't do that." Joe interrupted gesturing for Len to cock his gun making Beth let out small scream. "Put it down or we'll do it for you."

Taking a look around Daryl threw his weapon to the floor but his eyes held an fury Beth hadn't seen before. "Well cowboy, you got one of them. You can go now." Joe laughed.

Rick had been silent this entire time but Beth could tell his anger was building to the point he was going to explode. "I'm not leaving without her."

"You have no choice, you and Daryl can either walk out of here on your own. Or you won't leave at all. Take your pick."

Clenching his jaw Rick looked at the older man. To him this was all a game with one winner and one loser. Too bad Rick wasn't going to let him win, even if it was the last thing he would do. Acting fast he turned around, grabbing his knife from his back pocket and threw it at one of the men, hitting in right in the forehead. Getting the hint Daryl grabbed his crossbow firing off an arrow at another one, striking him in the knee. When the man cried out in pain Rick grabbed the gun he held. "Beth, duck!"

With Len distracted by the chaos around them Beth was able to duck just enough for Rick to get a shot at him. Falling to her knees she heard Len's body hit the floor behind her. "Rick!" She cried seeing Joe come at him.

Before Rick could act Joe hit him with the butt of his gun making him fall to his hands and knees. Beth cried out seeing three of the remaining men fight Daryl, he put up a good fight but when man put a rifle to the back of his neck he had to stop his movements. His crossbow was ripped out of his hands and thrown into the darkness of the room. Pushing him to his knees he was forced to watch everything unfold. Beth cowered against the wall when one of them approached her. "Come here, girlie." One growled pulling her up by her arms, dragging her across the floor.

Rick was trying to catch his breath when he heard Beth sobbing. Looking up he saw the heavier man on top of her, pulling at her clothes. Beth struggled against him, screaming at him to stop. Turning her head her blue eyes met his, pleading with him to help her. He heard Joe laugh from above him. Feeling a strong hit on his back Rick fell to his stomach then a weight on his shoulders. "Its over, cowboy." Joe whispered in his ear.

Rick was about to speak up when Joe rolled him over onto his back. His arms stretched out but to his surprise he felt cool metal under his palm. It was a knife, the one Len took away from Beth. Gripping it tight Rick stared right into Joe's eyes as he head butted him hard enough to get the man off of him. Getting to his feet Rick grabbed his gray hair holding it tight. "Like hell it is." He snarled stabbing the knife right into the mans face repeatedly.

It seemed like time had stopped. The man above her appeared to be in a trance as he watched Rick stab his leader over and over again, blood covering his face and his clothes. Beth stared in horror as the man she loved became someone else. Everyone was distracted by Rick's gruesome act they didn't even hear the door open. Shots rang out hitting the two men holding Daryl captive. Beth gasped seeing Carl standing in the doorway holding up his pistol. "Dad!"

Even hearing his son didn't make Rick stop plunging the knife into Joe's head and face. When he was finished with Joe he let his body fall to the floor in a bloody heap. Turning his attention to the man still holding onto Beth he stepped over to them. The man quickly climbed off of her holding his hands up in surrender. "T-take her, she's yours." He stammered.

"Daryl, get Beth out of here." Rick commanded.

Beth was about to protest when Daryl pulled her to her feet and dragged her out of the store. "No, no please." She heard the man plead before he started screaming.

The screams were awful but they weren't as bad as the sound of the knife hitting his flesh. Beth cringed every time she heard another slice. Fighting Daryl's hold she tried to go back into the room. "Let me go! I need to see him!"

"No, you can't be around him right now!" He told her.

Fighting against him with everything in her she finally broke free and ran inside. Rick had stopped stabbing the man but he still held the bloody knife. He just stood there with his eyes glazed over almost as if he was in a daze. As carefully as she could Beth walked to him. "Rick..." She muttered.

Hearing her gentle voice seemed to reach him. Turning his head she was shocked to see the amount of blood on him, caking his beard and covering his shirt. "Beth?" He mumbled.

Nodding her head she felt tears running down her face. "Y-yeah, its me," She whispered holding her hands up stepping closer to him. "Its Beth."

Seeing her right in front of him Rick fell to his knees, the knife falling beside him. His arms wrapped around her waist holding her tight to him. Leaning over him Beth hugged him to her. He could feel her shaking as he held onto her, her sobs filling the room. Pulling her down to his level he held her face in his hands. "They...they were going to hurt you."

In that moment she didn't care about the blood on his hands. She just needed him to know she was there for him. She needed him to know that what had happened wasn't his fault and he did what he had to do. Resting her hands on top of his she tried to smile. "B-but they didn't." She murmured. "You...you saved me."

Swallowing the lump in his throat he shook his head. "They...they almost." Now he was shaking. "They could have..."

"No, no, don't think like that." She urged. "It...it didn't happen. Everything is ok now. You're here. We're together." She tried her best to keep her voice calm but she knew it was impossible. Here she was trying to calm him down after everything she had been through that night.

He could see her holding herself together by a thin thread. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her towards him. Burying her face into his neck she cried against his skin. Sitting in silence he held onto her, trying to shield her away from the world just for a little while. When she calmed down he heard footsteps from the rest of their group enter the room. Helping Beth to her feet he looked at them. "We need to find somewhere to stay for tonight."

Morgan stepped forward. "I found a place. Come on, its not far away."

Keeping an arm around Beth he followed him. They walked in silence to a six story brick apartment building. After handing his gun to someone Morgan pulled the fire escape ladder down. "The first two floors are completely barricaded. The only way in is this ladder."

"Is it clear?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, I already checked." When he saw the surprised look on Rick's face he continued. "I went when you were back in that store. I knew if things went wrong we would need a place to lay low for the night."

"He wasn't gone long." Carl defended just in case his dad grew angry at Morgan.

"Let's just get up there. I know we're all exhausted." Rick sighed.

Since he found the building Morgan climbed the ladder first followed by Carl. Gently pushing her forward Rick stood on the ground as Beth went up the ladder. When she reached the top he glanced at Daryl, gesturing him to go next. Sighing to himself he collected his thoughts before climbing up the ladder himself. Daryl and Beth were waiting for him when he stepped onto the metal landing. Inside the apartment he saw Morgan had already lit a few candles. "Luckily these people had a small amount of survival supplies." He mumbled placing them around the room for just enough light.

In the room there was a couch, loveseat, and a recliner in fair condition. "I'll go look around for some blankets." Morgan sighed turning on his flashlight.

"I'll help." Carl volunteered following the older man.

When they left the room Daryl spoke up. "I'll be outside...I need some air." He whispered climbing through the window.

Stepping into the kitchen Beth used her small flashlight to take a look around. Empty cans were left on the counter along with unopened envelopes. Opening a few cabinets she didn't find any food but she did find some wash cloths. Turning on the faucet she was surprised to see water come out. Filling a leftover cup with water she took it along with the rag over to Rick who was sitting up against the wall. Dipping the cloth into the water she gently began to clean the blood off his face. Dabbing the rag under his eyes she noticed he was staring at her but it wasn't like how Len was looking at her. This look was different, it wasn't lust or anything sexual, she was afraid to say what it was out loud.

Once his face was clean she went to find him a clean shirt. "I'll be right back." She told him walking over to one of the bedrooms.

Finding a plain white T-shirt she went back into the living room to see that he had already stripped the bloody one off. Bending down she helped him put the clean one on before picking up the wash cloth again to clean off his hands and arms. As she worked Rick couldn't help but watch her. In the candlelight she looked beautiful. Hesitantly he reached over to brush the hair out of her eyes. When she felt his hands on her cheek she stopped but the gentleness of his touch made her breathing speed up.

Dropping the rag beside them she leaned forward, laying her head on his chest. "I'm so glad you're here." She whispered into his shirt, a few tears falling from her eyes.

Wrapping his arms around her he ran his hands up and down her back. Hearing her cry he held her closer. "Shh, its ok." He said into her hair.

Gripping his shirt she muttered. "I love you."

Hearing her say those words again made him stop his movements. Using one of his hands he gently urged her to look at him. He needed her attention. Taking a deep breath he stared into her eyes as he opened his mouth. "I...I love you too."

Now Beth couldn't help but cry more. Burying her face in his shirt she held onto him tight feeling like if she let him go they would get separated again. Of course she had dreamed about him saying those words to her but actually hearing them was like nothing she had imagined. Not only did she hear them, she could feel how much he loved her. With the way he was holding her acting like he was never going to let her go she knew he loved her just as much as she loved him.

Sighing to himself Rick reached over for the rag she had dropped. When he saw the surprised look on her face he smiled. "Lets get you cleaned up too." He mumbled dipping the cloth into the water.

Sitting up Beth sat in between his legs as he cleaned her face. He wanted any remnants of her past ordeal gone and forgotten as best he could. She didn't have as much blood as he did but he wanted it gone. As he was finishing up Morgan and Carl came back with pillows and blankets. Tossing them to the floor everyone made their own makeshift beds using the couch and loveseat cushions. "I'll take the recliner." Morgan said taking a seat in the chair. "Man...haven't sat in one of these in years."

Rick smiled but realized Daryl still hadn't come inside. Rising to his feet he told Beth he would be right back before stepping outside to the fire escape. He found Daryl sitting down, his legs dangling over the side. "Morgan and Carl found some blankets. There's one for everyone."

"I'll stay out here," Daryl mumbled. "You get some sleep."

Sighing to himself Rick took a seat beside him. "Daryl its not your fault." He whispered as if he was reading his friend's mind.

Daryl shook his head. "I was the one that said we should go with 'em." He explained. "I thought...I thought we'd be safer in a group."

"You are safer in a group, you just picked the wrong group." Rick said. "You couldn't have possibly known what they were capable of."

"I didn't think they would do that." He muttered. "That dumbass claim rule...I thought it was for food and places to sleep. I didn't know..."

"Don't blame yourself. I'm sure Beth doesn't." Rick assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you...for keeping her safe."

Sighing Daryl turned to look at his friend. "Don't mention it."

Nodding Rick stood up and stepped into the living room with Daryl following right behind him. He saw that Carl had already fell asleep and Morgan's snores filled the room. Blowing out a few of the candles Rick walked over to where he and Beth made their bed. She was under the covers but he saw she still had her eyes open. Once he laid down she moved to lay her head on his chest. Wrapping his arm around her he leaned up to kiss her head. "Good night." He whispered.

"Good night." She murmured finally letting herself fall asleep for the first time in what felt like months.

Even though she was still shaken by her encounter Beth could rest easy. She was reunited with the man she loved and that was the best comfort she could ever ask for. She had her teddy bear back, she felt safe and was determined to keep it that way. For the both of them.

**So I decided to change up Rick and Joe's fight just because I didn't want it to be exactly like the show but still show dark Rick, hope it was good enough. Also I wanted to have a Rick and Daryl scene because their scene together in the finale was one of my favorites. Hope you like it, review if you did! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Stay or Go?

Early the next morning Rick found himself already awake and unable to go back to sleep. Laying on the makeshift bed he and Beth made he saw sunshine streaming through the boarded up windows. It was a new day and they were going to have to figure out their next move. Knowing they had to go back on the road didn't stress him out as much as it had in the previous weeks and he knew why. She was laying right beside him. Turning his head he saw Beth cuddled up to his side facing him. During the night they were always touching somehow, whether it be their legs or her resting on his chest. It was like they needed the comfort of each other after everything they had been through the previous night.

Reaching over he gently brushed some hair that had fallen in her face. His touch must have woken her because he watched her eyes open slowly. Covering her mouth she yawned before moving closer to him. "Mornin,'" She muttered.

"Mornin,' sleep good?"

"I woke up a few times...I kept seeing his face above me."

Wrapping his arm around her Rick held her firm to him trying his best to comfort her. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry you went through that."

"Please don't blame yourself for it."

Sighing to himself Rick stared into her blue eyes. "I promised your dad I would keep you safe."

"And you did." She whispered clutching onto his hand. "You saved me."

"I scared you...I scared myself last night. I just saw what that man was doing and heard Joe say what they were going to do and I...I just saw red."

"Rick you did what any other man would do in that situation. You did what you had to do...and you didn't scare me. I have never seen that side of you, sure, but I know you would never do anything to hurt me. I'm sure daddy would say the same thing."

Talking about Hershel brought tears to her eyes. The whole time she was on the road with Daryl she had never taken the time to process what had happened at the prison. She hadn't grieved yet but in the stillness of the morning the feelings she had tried to keep at bay seemed to crash all at once. Burying her face in Rick's chest she let herself cry. When she felt his hands run up and down her back she looked back up at him. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize," He told her leaning up to kiss her forehead. "Let it out, he was your father, I understand."

Wiping her eyes she laid her head back down. "Where are we gonna go now? We still have to find Maggie and Glenn, I mean we have to find everyone from the prison."

"I'm sure they got out, its just a matter of figuring out where they went when they left. When Morgan and Daryl wake up we'll look over the map and go for supplies."

"How did you find me?"

"Honestly it was luck and intuition." He chuckled. "We found a camp in the woods and then..." Digging around in his pocket he pulled out her necklace. "I found this on a tree. I knew you were alive and I knew I had to find you."

Smiling from ear to ear she took it from him. "I didn't know if you were close...I just had to take the chance and hope you were out there somewhere looking for me."

"I was hoping the same thing."

Beth grinned, raising up from her spot she leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Gently Rick deepened the kiss, not to try to take things to the next level, he just needed to have this moment with her. Hearing Morgan groan from the recliner beside them instantly broke them apart. "Man...what time is it?" Morgan yawned stretching his arms in the air.

"A little past dawn," Rick answered, his head falling back on his pillow.

Rising from his seat Morgan took a look around. "You two look cozy."

Beth could feel herself blush while Rick just shook his head. Untangling herself from him Beth got out of their bed. "I'm gonna see what we have for breakfast."

As she walked away she saw Morgan stand close to Rick. When she was out of earshot Morgan started talking. "I wasn't gonna say anythin' last night but you two...are you?"

"Yeah," Rick said without hesitation.

Rick's answer didn't surprise him but honestly he didn't see Rick Grimes, the former Sheriff deputy who had been so determined to find his wife to move on with such a young girl. He wasn't going to judge though, it wasn't his place and he knew all too well people had to find some kind of happiness in this world. Placing his hand on his friend's shoulder he smiled. "You have a good one, I can tell."

"She is." Rick replied glancing towards Beth in the kitchen.

By the time Carl and Daryl woke up Beth came back with bowls of oatmeal. "We were in luck, an unopened box was in the cabinet." She explained.

When she sat down next to Rick she could feel Carl's eyes on her. Ever since they were reunited she hadn't talked to him once and it was going to be awkward when they go on the road. She knew she was going to have to talk to him eventually, she just didn't know what to say or when would be the right time.

After eating in silence Rick and Daryl volunteered to go look for supplies leaving everyone else behind in the apartment. Before he left Beth made sure to have a moment with Rick. "Be careful," She told him as she hugged him tight.

"We won't be gone long." He promised giving her a quick kiss.

When they were gone Morgan said he was going to stay on the fire escape to watch for them leaving Beth and Carl alone in the apartment. Carl sat on one side of the living room cleaning his gun while Beth cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Once everything was picked up she figured now was a good a time as any. Sitting down across from him Beth sighed. "Carl," She sat in silence for a few minutes before Carl looked up. "I'm...I'm glad you're ok."

Beth almost wanted to slap herself on the forehead. 'That's all you can come up with? Great job, Beth, now he'll come around.'

Putting his gun down Carl looked right at her. "Yeah...you too."

His words surprised her but she wasn't about to let this moment end right then. "I'm sorry," She muttered, playing with her bracelet. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner."

"Lets just forget it. We have bigger things to worry about." He said standing up. "You make him happy."

With that he walked away to join Morgan leaving Beth all alone. She sat in the same spot for what felt like hours before she moved. On the bright side Carl didn't hate her but now the reality of their situation was hitting her. They had to find the rest of their group and they had no idea where to start. She had Rick back but her sister was still out there, the only family she had left could be anywhere out there. Then a terrifying thought came to her. What if she never saw Maggie again? She knew there was a chance of that but she refused to accept it.

After packing her bag Beth joined the others out on the fire escape to wait for Rick and Daryl. She didn't know much about Morgan, other than he was the one that helped Rick when he first woke up in the hospital, but she knew enough to know Rick trusted him enough to stay with her and Carl. "Do we have any idea where we should go?" She asked the older man.

He seemed surprised when she started speaking to him. "I'm not sure yet, I think we're gonna talk about it when Rick gets back."

"What if we just stay here?" Carl questioned.

"Don't you want to find your people?"

"Yeah, of course, but...its safe here right? And the town is big enough for supplies so everything we need is here. Maybe we should just stay."

Morgan sighed, leaning against the rail he glanced at the boy. "We'll talk about it when your dad gets back."

Beth knew Carl had a point, Macon proved to be safe for the most part she just didn't like the idea of staying and not looking for her sister. They were going to have to discuss the pro's and con's and when it comes down to it they were going to have to do what was safest for their group.

After picking through a few stores Rick and Daryl had filled up a few bags of stuff they could use out on the road. As they entered what looked to be the remains of a small boutique he found a few items he knew Beth would appreciate. As he was stuffing a few shirts into a bag he heard Daryl chuckle. "She's got you whipped, huh?"

Laughing softly Rick glanced at him. "You would do the same for Carol." He teased.

Hearing Daryl scoff and walk away Rick continued what he was doing. Once he was finished he went off to find Daryl. As he walked through the store he saw the baby department making him frown. Blinking back tears he left the store finding Daryl leaning against the building. "You ready?"

"Yeah, lets head back, we'll need more hands if we get anything else." He told his friend.

They ran across a few walkers on their way back to the apartment but luckily they weren't in a big group. As they got closer Rick saw the others standing at the top of the fire escape. Dropped their bags on the group Daryl pulled the ladder down. "All right now how the hell are we gonna get the stuff up there?"

After several trips and many curses exchanged they managed to get all the bags up the ladder. Taking a seat on the floor Rick pulled out a few items while the others went through the other bags. Beth smiled to herself seeing a few articles of women's clothing in one of the bags. She knew Rick picked them out and she couldn't help but feel herself blush knowing he was thinking about her while they were out. When everything was sorted out in front of them Carl decided to speak up first. "Dad...why don't we just stay here?"

Turning to his son Rick sighed. "Well I...do you want to?"

Carl shrugged. "Its safe and isn't that what we need? Its getting colder and maybe we should just stay. For the winter at least."

Glancing at everyone Rick asked. "What do y'all think?"

Putting his crossbow down Daryl said. "Kid's got a point. Its not a good idea for us to be out there at night here soon. We'll freeze to death."

"I think its the best bet for right now." Morgan agreed.

Sighing Rick nodded his head. "Then I guess that's what we're gonna do. For right now we'll stay. We're gonna have to make a list of things we're gonna need here in the next few weeks. Daryl why don't you take watch while we put everything away?"

Daryl nodded stepping out onto the fire escape letting them figure out where to put their supplies. "Hey Carl," Rick called to his son reaching into one of the leftover bags. "Found these for you."

When Carl saw the comic books his eyes instantly lit up. "Thanks." He grinned.

"You can go read them, Beth and I will finish up here."

Seeing how happy Carl was made Beth smile. "I haven't seen him that giddy in a long time." She whispered stepping closer to Rick.

"Yeah, I'm glad to see it again, that's for sure." He sighed. "How are you feeling? Are you ok with staying here? I know I didn't talk to you beforehand..."

"Its ok, I know its best for right now." She tried to hide her sadness but he saw it anyway.

Placing his hand on her shoulder he urged her to look up at him. "Hey, its only for a little while, ok? And you never know maybe she'll pass through here someday."

"I hope so." She muttered.

As the day passed Beth helped prepare dinner for their little group in silence. A part of her felt guilty for not pushing to go out and find Maggie but then again with winter approaching walkers wouldn't be the only dangerous thing they would encounter. Sleeping outside in the dead of winter wasn't ideal for anyone. She knew their little group couldn't handle it. Eventually they would have decided to settle in one spot, maybe it was a good thing they already found spot safe enough.

Pushing away negative thoughts she tried her best to appear ok with their decision to stay. She knew it was the best thing to do for the entire group. When the supper dishes were clean and put away she found herself sitting out on the fire escape. The sun had already set and the stars were out shining brighter than she had seen them in a long time. Wrapping her sweater tighter around her she looked up at them, it reminded her of that night in the guard tower with Rick. Even though it ended too soon for her liking, and what happened afterwards wasn't how she pictured, she would still remember it as the night they kissed for the first time. "What are you doing out here?" She heard Rick's voice from the window.

"Just thinking." She answered feeling him step up behind her, her back pressed up against his chest.

"About what?" He asked wrapping his arms around her.

"About Maggie...about us...everything I guess." She murmured resting her hands on top of his.

Kissing the back of her head he said. "I wish I could promise you everything would be ok, I really do, but nowadays everything is so unpredictable."

"I know, but I wouldn't want you to make promises you can't keep. I much rather you be honest than tell me what I want to hear."

"I will tell you this." He told her, turning her around so he could look into her eyes. "I will do my best to take care of you. I will do my best to remind you each day I love you and that I'm here for you. I know we've lost a lot but I'm right here and I won't let you go that easily."

Feeling tears brim her eyes she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. It was the first time she heard him talk to her like that, his voice full of emotion and she knew he meant every word. Breaking the kiss she leaned her forehead on his. "I love you too, and I'm not going anywhere." She promised hugging him tight.

Even though the future was not certain and they knew they were going to have to fight to keep their happiness, Beth knew she could do it because she had the man she loved beside her. The man that made her feel safe, that helped her forget her hardships for just a few hours. It might be hard in the next few months but on that fire escape that was enough for both of them.

**So that's it for this story. I really am so happy with all the support and love I've gotten for this story. I'm already planning a new one, not a sequel for this particular story but a completely new one with a Rick/Beth pairing so keep a look out for that one. Thank you so much for all the reviews and I hope you like the new one as well :)**


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